This Is Just WRONG!

[HairyEyeball]

The question of the 'war on drugs' - whatever one thinks of it - aside, just how is 'justice' served when the President has the time and will to act on behalf of some druggie while Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean are still in prison? Convicted of shooting a known drug smuggler in the @$$, on his testimony and that of his relative (also employed by the BP. and serving hundreds of miles away), the two were sacrificed for the 'greater good' of the 'North American Union', and despite the fact that the drug smuggler was again caught in the act, his testimony is still somehow more 'believable' than that of two sworn officers with unblemished records, guilty of nothing more than poor marksmanship.

Of all the things Bush has done, of all the unconstitutional domestic policies he has initiated, of all the expansion of government - and government spending - he has presided over, his failure to immediately pardon Ramos and Campeon may be the blackest mark on his administration.

President commutes sentence of Fugees producer
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 2:09:37 PM
President George W. Bush commuted the sentence of a former Fugees producer who has spent seven years in prison for cocaine possession with intent to distribute.

That means John Forte will soon be freed after serving about half of his 14-year sentence. He was one of two men whose sentences for cocaine offenses were commuted Monday night, along with 14 pardons granted.

Forte co-wrote and produced two songs on the Fugee's 1996 album "The Score," a Grammy-winning hit. As a rapper, he also released two albums himself, the second of which ("I, John") included a duet with singer Carly Simon.

Simon posted bail for Forte at the time Other Entertainment Photos

Fincher discusses Oscar hopeful `Benjamin Button'
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of his arrest and had urged for his release. Messages left with her publicist were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Forte was arrested at Newark International Airport in 2000, and later found guilty of possession of 31 pounds of liquid cocaine with the intent to distribute.

Julie Stewart, president and founder of the advocacy group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, applauded Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Forte and another man who had been imprisoned for 15 years. Stewart said sentences for many "low-level, first-time, nonviolent drug offenders" don't fit the crime.

Presidents often issue many pardons toward the end of their terms, though Bush has granted a total of 171 pardons and eight commutations. That's fewer than half as many as either President Clinton or President Reagan issued during their two terms in office.

http://www.mail.com/Article.aspx?art...bcat=&pageid=1

[txb&b]

This is the first time I've heard that the drug smuggler had a relative employed by the BP. Don't ask me what I think of Sutton and his behavior not only here but in other cases he's prosecuted. I agree that if Bush fails to pardon Ramos and Compean, it will be the biggest black mark on his time in office.

[JohnP]

In my town, there is one federal officer for every 5 civilians, most are Border Patrol. The problem is not only the fact that these men were wrongfully prosecuted for doing their job, but that there was NO support from the senior leadership in border patrol. There has been such a major expansion of this service that most of the now senior agents and SAICs have less than 15 years experience in the service and most without meaningful military experience.
1. In a service where it used to be 1 agent covering over 100 miles of border, there is now 1 agent for every 5 miles, 24/7.
2. Most of the new agents entering now are combat veteran's. It is difficult to transfer your brain from a military combat environment to a civilian combat environment. The rules of engagment are completely different.

It is unprecedented in the history of this agency. There needs to be a re-vamping of the entire agency to include new rules of engagement that fit more in tune with a military environment, because gentlemen, on this area of the border, it is a military response that is facing you.

JohnP

[PaulR]

Originally Posted by HairyEyeball

The question of the 'war on drugs' - whatever one thinks of it - aside, just how is 'justice' served when the President has the time and will to act on behalf of some druggie while Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean are still in prison? Convicted of shooting a known drug smuggler in the @$$, on his testimony and that of his relative (also employed by the BP. and serving hundreds of miles away), the two were sacrificed for the 'greater good' of the 'North American Union', and despite the fact that the drug smuggler was again caught in the act, his testimony is still somehow more 'believable' than that of two sworn officers with unblemished records, guilty of nothing more than poor marksmanship.

Of all the things Bush has done, of all the unconstitutional domestic policies he has initiated, of all the expansion of government - and government spending - he has presided over, his failure to immediately pardon Ramos and Campeon may be the blackest mark on his administration.

You are not the only one who is disappointed by this. I was shocked when they were convicted and imprisoned in the first place. Sure... the way things went down, they should have received an in house letter of reprimand only.

I have a Reserve member LCDR at our unit who is a Border Guard agent, who read the investigation report(or a copy of it). From he told me, this case has completely undermined the morale of the entire organization.

The imprisoned agents are little more and political cannon fodder, IMHO. Just sad!

They can pardon a couple farking turkeys today, but not these men... Shameful