I have occasionally argued on Viewpoint that George Bush might well be regarded by history as an outstanding president. I still believe this, but I do not think Bush's presidency has been uniformly praiseworthy. His temporizing on illegal immigration, for example, has been a major disappointment, as has his fiscal profligacy.
There is, in addition, an ugly stain on both his presidency and his personal character represented by the case of border agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.
Ramos and Compean encountered a Mexican drug smuggler named Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, trying to move over 700 pounds of narcotics into Texas. The agents tried to apprehend Aldrete-Davila who ran. When they ordered him to stop, he turned as if to fire a weapon. The officers shot, and one bullet hit the smuggler in the buttock. He managed to flee across the border, and the federal prosecutor, Johnny Sutton, went to Mexico and offered him immunity for his testimony against the agents. On this man's word, the border agents were convicted by a federal jury on charges that included assault with a dangerous weapon, lying about the incident and violating the alleged smuggler's Fourth Amendment right to be protected against illegal search and seizure.
Ramos and Compean were offered a plea bargain which would have put them in jail for six months, but they would have had to admit guilt and lose their jobs. They didn't believe they were guilty of anything serious so they declined the offer. The vindictive, narrow-minded, mean-spirited Sutton came down on them hard. He invoked a law that makes using a firearm during the commission of a crime punishable by a mandatory ten year sentence, so, since the two agents were convicted of violating the smuggler's fourth amendment rights and fired at him when they thought he was going to shoot, the two agents are now serving 10-12 years in solitary confinement.
While under immunity this thug tried several more times to bring drugs into the U.S., was caught, and given ten years in prison. He has a briefer sentence than do the two agents. Indeed, if Ramos and Compean serve their full term they'll do more time than some convicted murderers.
President Bush, who had no qualms about pardoning "Scooter" Libby who was convicted of committing perjury, has not been able to see his way clear to pardon these two men who were trying to do their job and prevent criminals from exploiting our porous border. Their reward is to be persecuted by a man, Johnny Sutton, who appears to be a cross between Michael Nifong and Inspector Javert.
John McCain is casting about for ways to distance himself from George Bush. In my opinion, he could do himself a lot of good, especially with Hispanic Americans, if he promised that if elected he would immediately pardon Ramos and Compean. Their sentence is one aspect of Bush and his presidency that everyone should distance themselves from.
RLC