About time. He should also give them each the Medal of Freedom too since their acts and service helped keep us all a free country......for now.
So, the last day W commutes 2 sentences. How many did Clinton commute or pardon his last day? 140.
What is the reason for the months of delay in releasing these toe?
If it were me, I would have commuted (not pardoned) Duke Cunningham.
The drug smuggler evaded and resisted arrest. When one agent saw the other fall in the conforntation, he opened fire at the fleeing drug smuggler.
These men stopped a drug smuggler who was actively bringing drugs into this country as an illegal. The did not know they had hit the man at the time, so they did not report it (which was a mistake) and then proceeded with that story (another mistake).
For those mistakes there should have been administrative punishment...but not criminal prosecution IMHO.
Sutton wanted to make an abject example of these men and he did so. But they did not deserve on tenth or one one hundredth of what they got from a politically charged prosecutor and environment.
I am grateful they will be free in March and hope and pray they achieve a successful appeal of their convictions and the harm that has been done their careers, reputations and families.
But I will never forget the way they were treated. It was and is a travestuy and a very shameful thing. I am glad Bush finally commuted their sentence...I wish there had been a full pardon. At least now they will be free to pursue their appeal...and I believe if they get together and write a good book about their experiences, they will be able to provide for themselves and their families in any case.
It's a story that should be told...it's a story that needs to be told from their perspective.
A reporter that actually gets it right. These two were and still are criminals that deserved to go to prison. But, like the reporter, I thought the sentences were excessive.
I’m disappointed that Libby didn’t get pardoned. Disgusted, actually. Bush had a chance to repudiate that partisan “Plamegate” witch hunt. Fail.
>>>”In that Bush had stood by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton’s prosecution of the agents, as well as the jury verdicts, this is the best outcome that was to be had.”<<<
This is more appropriately written: “In that Bush had stood by his BUTT-BUDDY’S prosecution of the INNOCENT agents WHO WERE JUST TRYING TO DO THEIR JOBS, as well as the MISLED jury verdicts — BV A JURY WHO WOULD NOT HAVE VOTED TO CONVICT IF THEY HAD KNOWN THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRUG SMUGGLER — this is the best outcome that was to be had FROM A MEMBER OF THE SMUG, SELF-SERVING BUSH FAMILY — THE FAMILY WHO SINGLE-HANDIDLY RUINED THIS NATION.”
He released drug smugglers and Scooter Libby far earlier.
What was the downside to making this motion?
Sure it looks like the “explanation” was designed to appease the Mexican government with mea culpas about these agents (if it was really about justice, Johnny Sutton would also be serving in jail for abuse of power) but just WHAT policy with Mexico would have been harmed if this had happened in October 2008 rather than Jan 2009?
A few more conservatives might have gone to the polls if Bush had done this before the election.
No, it's been said that former President Bush had to be dragged to this decision.
And you don't hear a single congress critter stepping up to the plate to amend the law they passed..... Yet many was front and center pushing for the pardon/commutation.
Now maybe Ramos/Compean can get on with a new life albeit a much different one from their past.
I wouldn’t be surprised if President Bush’s ratings went up 20 points after commuting the sentences of Ramos and Compean.
Far more than the dumb laws, little Debbie, the reason was a crooked prosecutor and other BP, and Federal agents in league with foreign national Mexicans to clear the route for drug and illegal alien smuggling into the US.
Crooked prosecutors and cops and a STUPID predisposed Jorge Bush, that's all it took.
you know how much the punishing of Ramos & Compean has been a victory for the pro-illegal movement and Bush has been very aware of well their prosecution has played amongst the Mexican public on Telemundo and Univision and amongst the La Raza and Maldef crowds.
He has refused to defend these agents or even mitigate their actions because it would harm his support from these liberal anti-American interest groups. He already planned on getting hit from the Right during the Amnesty debate but he couldn’t afford to lose the pro-Amnesty support if there was any chance of getting a deal done. And the two agents ended up being pawn in this political football.
And Bush showed no honor in handling this. He left them get Scooter’d.