George Bush Commutes Sentence on Two Heroes of Anti-Mexicanism
Not quite sure what to make of this…
In his final acts of clemency, President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the prison sentences of two former U.S. Border Patrol agents whose convictions for shooting a Mexican drug dealer ignited fierce debate about illegal immigration.
Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who tried to cover up the shooting, was welcomed by both Republican and Democratic members of Congress. They had long argued that the agents were merely doing their jobs, defending the American border against criminals. They also maintained that the more than 10-year prison sentences the pair was given were too harsh.
A lot of people on the right wanted Bush to grant to two men — who were heroic enough to shoot a man "in self defense" while he was running away from them — full pardons. I don't know what it means that he just commuted the remainder of their prison terms.
But Ben Smith says…
The commutations of Jose Campean and Ignacio Ramos are a gesture of solidarity with an anti-immigration base unable or unwilling to mobilize effectively for the GOP in November, and perhaps another blow to the party's collapsing relationship with Hispanic voters.
Yeah, because he really needs to sure up that support in his last few hours of office.
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Since I do not have the details of their convictions, I abstain from commenting on the appropriateness of the commutation. However, I am not going to lose sleep tonight worrying murderers have been released and are on the loose.
The author seems to believe that having a poor relationship with a group of voters is a bad thing. For democrats, this would be true. Fr principled thinkers; you can't make everyone happy. The majority of this country does not want amnesty and tighter borders. Are not democrats losing support among "these" voters?
http://www.usefulopinions.blogspot.com
At last glance the two pardoned Border Patrol agents are hispanic and their families are still able to vote. Conversely, the mexican drug runner who was shot can't vote in this country, pilgrim. This act should "sure" up the hispanic vote in those two agent's families.