Thread: Ramos, Compean pardon? 'No, 'No,' say Bush rep.

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Saturday, December 22, 2007



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WND AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Ramos, Compean pardons? 'No,' 'No,' says Bush rep
Spokesman won't allow questions to be asked

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Posted: December 22, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern




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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


White House spokesman Tony Fratto

The White House apparently is so reluctant to discuss the issue of pardons or commutations for convicted U.S. Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean that a spokesman doesn't even want to allow questions about the issue to be finished.

The circumstances arose during a White House press gaggle with spokesman Tony Fratto, when Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House, tried to raise the issue of the disparity in the treatment of the Border Patrol agents, compared to that given Scooter Libby, an aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who was convicted of lying during an investigation into the outing of the identity of a covert U.S. agent.

The agents were convicted and given prison sentences of 11 and 12 years for shooting after a self-confessed drug smuggler fleeing back into Mexico after leaving 750 pounds of marijuana in Texas, while Libby was excused from serving any of his prison sentence through President Bush's intervention.

The White House repeatedly has said there is a pardons request procedure available to the agents, even though Libby apparently did not go through the same process before Bush acted.

"A number of times here, when questions were raised about former U.S. Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean, we were told that there is a process for pardon. And I have a three-part question on this…" Kinsolving began.

"You have to make it quick, because they're calling for me," Fratto said.

"I will. Could you explain to us why the president refuses to commute these men who shot an escaping Mexican drug smuggler…" Kinsolving continued.

"No," interrupted Fratto.

(Story continues below)

"…as the president commuted the prison sentence of his friend, Scooter Libby," Kinsolving asked.

"No," Fratto responded.

"Okay. What is the White House reaction to one of the judges of the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which stated the government overreacted, but there's no indication when this three-judge panel will rule on this appeal." Kinsolving said.

"I don't have a reaction on that. We're going to limit it to two, and then Paula, and then…" Fratto said.

"I just have this last…" Kinsolving said.

"It's okay, Paula," Fratto moved on.

Kinsolving said he was going to ask why the president couldn't commute the agents' sentences to allow the two out of solitary in time for Christmas, a move that also has been proposed in a separate letter to the president from members of Congress, as well as a resolution that is building support in the U.S. House.

As WND has reported, a bipartisan coalition has delivered a letter to the White House seeking a commutation for the agents.

Four congressmen – Democrats William Delahunt of Massachusetts and Silvestre Reyes of Texas, and Republicans Dana Rohrabacher of California and Ted Poe of Texas – signed a letter to President Bush asking him to commute the sentences of Ramos and Compean.

The letter represents a direct bipartisan appeal to Bush to act now on behalf of Ramos and Compean, in the hope the two men could be home with their families for Christmas.

Delahunt, Rohrabacher and Poe earlier sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 267 asking the House to petition President Bush to grant clemency in the case. It now has 37 Democrats and several dozen Republicans as sponsors.

The theme of the bipartisan letter and resolution is that the sentences of 11 and 12 years, respectively, imposed on Ramos and Compean are disproportionate to the lesser sentences typically served by more grievous criminals, including those convicted for manslaughter, assault and firearms where the average sentence is less than four years.

Especially troubling to some watching the case of Ramos and Compean is the mandatory minimum 10-year sentence imposed by 18 U.S.C. 924(c) under which Ramos and Compean were convicted.

As WND has reported, 18 U.S.C. 924(c) is a law Congress passed to impose additional penalties on federal felons who carried firearms in the commission of their felony.

Appellate attorneys for Ramos and Compean argued on Dec. 3 before the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that 18 U.S.C. 924(c) was never intended to be applied to law enforcement officers who fired their weapons in the line of duty, even if the officers used misjudgment in the decision to discharge their weapons.

The bipartisan letter makes the same point.

"Mr. President, as of this writing, Ignacio Ramos will have served his punishment for all the crimes for which he was found guilty – except the charge imposing the mandatory minimum," members of Congress said. "Jose Compean will be halfway through his prison term – except for the charge carrying the mandatory minimum."

"These men have already lost their jobs and had their lives ruined, and their families have suffered terribly," the letter said. "No useful purpose is served by their incarceration."

"Mr. President, we respectfully request that you correct this injustice," the letter ended. "We ask that you immediately commute the sentences of Ramos and Compean to time served so that they can spend Christmas at home with their families."

Ramos and Compean were convicted for firing after Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, an admitted drug smuggler, who brought 750 pounds of marijuana across the Mexican border, into Fabens, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2005.

Aldrete-Davila is now arrested and indicted for a "second load," which he allegedly brought into the U.S. in 2006 just prior to the trial for Ramos and Compean.

At that time, Aldrete-Davila was under a grant of immunity to testify at the Ramos-Compean trial and in possession of a border pass card signed by DHS special agent Christopher Sanchez.

Prosecutor Debra Kanof, in the office of U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in El Paso, successfully convinced Judge Kathleen Cardone to seal all information about Aldrete-Davila's second load from the jury, thus preventing the defense in the Ramos and Compean trial from using this information to impeach the credibility of Aldrete-Davila's testimony under oath on the stand.

The Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals is expected to announce the three-judge decision in the Ramos and Compean case before the end of February.

The White House has declined during several earlier question and answer sessions to respond to inquiries about executive intervention in the agents' case.

Since Bush refuses to pardon them, in the meantime while awaiting the outcome of their appeal, why don't they parol them--if deemed necessary monitor them electronically. Neither of them is a flight risk.

"We have had a Bush-Clinton crime spree in America that has lasted 27 years and we know it is all about oil, money and power." ~ Keith Olbermann

Boy this is just Burning My A_S the more I think about it the more I want this corrupt President Impeached and a Jury Trial for Treason... many, Many years behind prison walls, Maximum security with a ZERO chance for Parole

at Every Parole hearing for Bush and Chertoff

2008 - Denied
2009 - Denied
2010 - Denied
2011 - Denied
2012 - Denied
2013 - Denied
2014 - Denied
2015 - Denied
2016 - Denied
2017 - Denied
2018 - Denied
2019 - Denied
2020 - Denied
2021 - Denied
2022 - Denied
2023 - Denied
2024 - Denied
2025 - Denied
2026 - Denied
2027 - Denied
2028 - Denied
2029 - Denied
2030 - Denied
2031 - Denied
2032 - Denied
2033 - Denied
2034 - Denied
2035 - Denied
2036 - Denied
2037 - Denied
2038 - Denied
2039 - Denied
2040 - Denied
2051 - Denied
2052 - Denied
2053 - Denied
2054 - Denied
2055 - Denied
2056 - Denied
2057 - Denied
2058 - Denied
2059 - Denied
2060 - Denied

If only Bush and Cheny were impeached we would have a problem.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. would be president.
After her comes President pro Tempore of the Senate Harry Reed

The Presidential Succession Law of 1947 provides for the possiblity of simultaneous disability of both the president and vice president. In order for these individuals to assume the presidency, they must also meet all the legal requirements to serve as president.
1. Vice President of the United States
2. Speaker of the House
3. President pro Tempore of the Senate
Then followed by the President's Cabinet in the following order of succession:
4. Secretary of State
5. Secretary of the Treasury
6. Secretary of Defense
7. Attorney General
8. Secretary of the Interior
9. Secretary of Agriculture
10. Secretary of Commerce
11. Secretary of Labor
12. Secretary of Health & Human Services
13. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development
14. Secretary of Transportation
15. Secretary of Energy
16. Secretary of Education
17. Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs
18. Secretary of Homeland Security

"First of all, the so-called War on Terror isn’t a war on terror at all, it’s a war on the Constitution and Bill of Rights; a war on the rights of the American people." ~Lynn Stuter, researcher, analyst

Right on Airbornesapper7. Bush does need to be impeached right along with the lot of his puppets. But it will never happen.As is so often the case, dishonest and corrupt people like George W. Bush seem to always get away with a lot of unlawful acts that they commit. It would be a whole lot different if either you or I broke the law the way this man has done for the past 8 years. We would be locked up no questions asked. But not this man, he has done a lot of wrong to the country and to us the American people. He should pay for his crimes but its really sad to know that for whatever reason he is being protected and, he will never pay for his crimes.

Originally Posted by Molly

The White House has declined during several earlier question and answer sessions to respond to inquiries about executive intervention in the agents' case.

This is the way they do things. Remember, Bush is for the illegals. I guess the American citizens don't count.

Of course Bush is for mexico and not America

Just look at all the new mexican consulates
The mex military border incursions
mexican political conventions on our soil
venomous rhetoric coming from mexico city
calling Americans racist and xenophobes

And yet the silence from Bush and our politicans
decrying this invasion of our sovereignty

IS DEAFENING

Clearly the prosecution of the two agents and the deputy sheriff in Rocksprings Texas were political in nature, we have two countries that appear to control our government China and Mexico seem to have a "get home free card" truly disgusting.

Last Tuesday morning, my mother and I were having a phone discussion about the CONTINUED STONEWALLING of UNJUSTLY imprisoned Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. Mom could NOT fathom WHY President Bush had pardoned some REALLY RAUNCHY characters the week before but seemed UNABLE or UNWILLING to give the FRAMED BP agents a FAIR shake IN TIME for CHRISTMAS with their FAMILIES and FRIENDS. Suddenly I heard Mom cough. The NEXT moment, she was CRYING! A second LATER, SO was I! "Bush just makes NO sense to ME ANYMORE, dear!" Mom wept. "Bush makes NO sense anymore to ME, EITHER, Mom!" I lamented. On Wednesday, I told Mr. Loya that my mom and I had cried for him, Nacho, Jose, and their families. Mr. Loya gently consoled me that he and the family REALLY appreciated our tears and compassion for them. I replied, "Mr. Loya, after ALL you good people have BEEN PUT through, you ARE worthy of our tears, sympathy, and prayers!"

Originally Posted by MyAmerica

If only Bush and Cheny were impeached we would have a problem.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. would be president.
After her comes President pro Tempore of the Senate Harry Reed

The President Pro Tempore is Sen. Robert C. Byrd.

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/his ... empore.htm

110th Congress (2007-2009)

Robert C. Byrd (WV)

Tenure: January 4, 2007 -