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January 14, 2009
Bush on Border Agents Ramos and Compean: 'I'm not talking pardons'
Bush on border agents: 'I'm not talking pardons'
In a Jan. 6 interview with John Gizzi, political editor of Human Events, Bush said he regrets that the comprehensive immigration bill he endorsed did not prevail.
"Well, I'm sorry it didn't pass, because I felt strongly that the comprehensive approach to immigration reform was necessary for border enforcement, as well as recognizing that there are people willing to do work Americans won't do," Bush said. "Without the law, by the way, we did put fence up, and the border is becoming more secure. People are now recognizing the truth that there are fewer crossings, and we've ended the catch and release and issues like that."
Bush expressed concern for illegal aliens who risk their lives to come to the United States.
"I don't like it when the law is so antiquated that people who are willing to do hard work become contraband, they get stuffed in the bottom of 18-wheelers in order to come and do a job that others aren't willing to do. I don't think that's right," he said.
Only two days later, the Washington Times reported Bush awarded a $61,200 bonus to Border Patrol Chief David V. Aguilar, who has been criticized by members of his own agency for refusing to support Ramos and Compean after they were sentenced to 11 and 12-year prison sentences, respectively, for shooting at an illegal alien drug dealer while he attempted to smuggle 750 pounds of marijuana across the border.
Aguilar made headlines in April 2007 when 100 top leaders of the National Border Patrol Council endorsed a no-confidence resolution against him, citing the cases of Ramos and Compean among other complaints.
The union, which represents 11,000 of the U.S. Border Patrol's nonsupervisory field agents, pointed to Aguilar's willingness to believe the "perjured allegations" of criminal aliens over his own agents.
"Front-line Border Patrol agents who risk their lives protecting our borders have every reason to expect that the leadership of their own agency will support them," NBPC President T.J. Bonner said in the statement. "When this does not occur, and instead they are undermined by their so-called leaders, no one should be surprised when they express a loss of confidence in those managers."
Nonetheless, Bush presented Aguilar with the presidential merit award for "sustained extraordinary accomplishment" amounting to almost twice the starting salary of a Border Patrol agent.
However, the president wasn't as willing to provide detailed answers when asked about the agents during the exit interview.
Gizzi asked Bush, "Are you going to pardon Ramos and Compean? Are you talking with them?"
He replied flatly, "I'm not talking pardons."
Wild Thing's comment.........
This is something that will always leave a stink that will never go away. President Bush needs (( needed) to pardon Ramos and Compean. And also I was hoping he would also pardon all those who fought in the War on Terror -- a blanket pardon to stop the coming leftist witch-hunts .
All this concern about people who’ve broken the law, invaded the country and who don’t give two cents for the culture, values, language, or anything else the US stands for, and not one tear shed for US citizens.
I don't see the shooting an invader in the butt as a crime, not by anyone. I think they should have been given medals for trying to repel an invader from a foreign country.
.
....Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
Posted by Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 04:47 AM
Comments
This I will never understand. And for that I do believe I'm very grateful.
We have to stop lawyering every damn thing our protectors do.
(I'm with Jack Bauer!)
Posted by: yankeemom at January 14, 2009 08:19 AM
There is something very fishy going on behind the scenes for these two honest, hardworking American citizens doing time for no crime. So a drug dealer got shot? Happens every day around the nation. What makes what they did any different than what a cop in Detroit might have to do? Give them the PARDONS, Bush! Don't pull an Edward "the longshanks" on them, like he did to William Wallace. Don't let the sun go down without freeing these two.
Posted by: Lynn at January 14, 2009 08:23 AM
Bush is going to stand by and allow these two brave men rot in prison so he doesn't make his "good frined" Johnny Sutton look bad. But then, as CINC, he was going to stand by and watch the Haditha Marines get sold down the river too.
Posted by: BobF at January 14, 2009 08:26 AM
These two Border Patrolmen and the deputy sheriff who were imprisoned by Johnny Sutton are victims. Victims of politics, lawyers and PC.
That "compassion" of Bush's seems to extend to the wrong people sometimes. I think that if Chief Aguilar is not respected by his men, he should not be rewarded.
Posted by: TomR at January 14, 2009 01:02 PM
Sorry guys, but you all are too charitable toward Bush The Younger. The "cheap labor at all costs" greedhead faction of the Republican Party just doesn't get it, and frankly they deserve to keep losing elections until they do.
Related story: McCain thinks he lost because he didn't Hispander enough. Is there some way to politically put him out to pasture?
Posted by: Nick Byram at January 14, 2009 02:43 PM
I wonder if we should raise the American and Texas Flags over The Alamo, Presidio La Bahia, and the Battlefield at San Jacinto to make our positions unmistakably clear.
Posted by: JohnE PFC U.S. Army at January 14, 2009 05:09 PM
All the politicians are eagerly awaiting obama's signature on an amnesty bill, so that they can fight over some new 40 Million new, ignorant Americans.
Bush's statement of sympathy for the illegals and haveing to 'come' into the country as contraband. What doesn't he get. First, they are theives, sneaking into the country, Contraband I think so. Bush implies all they want is a job that no one else will do. This we have heard from McCain too. This is pure unadulerated Bullshit.
Where have these politicians been. this is now the 21st century. We Americans build machines to do away with hard labor, we don't need 'cotton pickers' we don't need 'lettuce pickers', Why ...because we have a GD machine that can do the work.
All of the money Bush wanted to throw at the Amnesty program could have bought brand new Combines for all the farmers in California and several other states...But they can't do that it won't buy votes.
As far as not pardoning Ramos, Compien and the Deputy sherrif. This is political payback to somebody. And it is of the worse kind when three lives are hung out to dry because of political pressure.
We certainly have strayed a long way from a Republic. Ben Franklin was right, " We have given you a Republic, it is up to you to take care of it." We, our government, has failed miserably.
Posted by: Mark at January 14, 2009 05:12 PM
I don't want Bush talking pardons. Talk is cheap. Just ACT and pardon these men who were just doing their job and protecting the country. Not pardoning these law-abiding men will turn into a permanent blot on George Bush's future that will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Posted by: Les at January 14, 2009 06:59 PM
Yankeemom, me too, I have given this so much thought and I just do not understand it at all.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:05 PM
Lynn, beautifully said.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:08 PM
BobF, Bush is my first politician that I am totally angry with ( like this kind of thing and what you mentioned) and then so very proud of him for other things. I know it sounds crazy but it is like a back and forth thing of emotion. Pride and such deep disappointment. I thank God we had him and not Gore or Kerry, but things like this just boggle my mind as to the why of them when logic screams to do the opposite of what Bush has done.
Reagan I was always proud of that was a whole different thing.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:14 PM
Tom, I agree, the rewarding of Chief Aguilar sets a horrible example of rewarding the wrong person.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:16 PM
Nick Byram, I know what you are saying, but honestly every one on here has said a lot about being upset about this in many of the other posts I have done about this.
There have only been a few times since I was old enough to vote that I have seen a politician try so hard NOT to get elected. McCain is one of them.He complimented Obama while Palin was speaking the truth about Obama. Things like that plus his stand on illegals, GITMO etc. it would make it impossible to agrue FOR McCain when he stood for all I did not stand for like that.
Palin is what saved the day, but there was no way Rep. would win this one. Obama had it locked up the day he entered imo, with the media at his side 24/7.
Yes Bush has made many mistakes.
But there is one area I will always praise him for and that is his reaction to 9-11, to our military and his respect for our troops. They love him back as much as he loves them. That has to be something he will always get credit for.
The thing about illegals is something I will always be ticked about big time. That has to do with our National security among other things. I just wish Bush would fess up for his reasons and not the bs one about how they deserve it. They are ILLEGAL no matter how it is wrapped with a bow.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:25 PM
JohnE PFC U.S. Army, I think he would drive by and not even care. This is one subject he is locked in on unfortunately. whew it is so sad.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:33 PM
Mark, it sure is....."This is pure unadulerated Bullshit".
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:36 PM
Les, I feel it will haunt him too. Maybe not him personally since he seems to be immune to a conscience on this, but it will be like a dark spot on his presidency that is for sure.
Posted by: Wild Thing at January 14, 2009 07:38 PM
If George Bush leaves office without making the matter of Ramos, Compean and the sheriff right, all I've got for him is my middle finger.
Posted by: Rick at January 14, 2009 09:16 PM
