Open thread: Commutations, security and snacks
As was expected, President George W. Bush commuted the sentences of two border patrol guards, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who had been sentenced to more than 10 years in jail for seriously wounding a suspected drug runner. They now are expected to be released within two months. The incident happened in 2005. The Houston Chronicle has a timeline here.
The border patrol guards had the support of a wide range of people, including Democrats and Republicans. This was not a partisan issue for many people. And, perhaps clouding the issue, the wounded man was granted immunity for some of his drug-related offenses for testifying against the border agents.
In other news:
Newsweek reports: No pardon for Libby.
The Washington Post looks at inauguration security.
Salmonella found in snack crackers.
CNN wonders whether Obama will reverse a Bush policy on abortion.
Power-sharing talks end in Zimbabwe; Mugabe still in charge.
The show thrower (and you know which one) seeks asylum. In Switzerland.
This is how the Taliban philosophy works: Girls should not go to school. If you blow girls to go to school. No school. The Taliban is blowing up schools. Five more, for a total of 175.
In broad daylight, a lawyer was shot and killed in Moscow. He was fighting early release of a former Russian tank commander who was in prison for mudering a young Chechen woman. A journalist who tried to help the lawyer also was killed.
Jamie Riley is the P-D letters editor and gatekeeper of the letters blog. Before joining the editorial page in May 2005, she was a reporter and page designer. Jamie lives in University City with her husband, Charles, daughter, Elise, and the world's best Jack Russell terrier, Logan, better known as Stinky. 
I’d be extremely surprised if a pardon for Libby wasn’t handed down in the last day. What amazes me are these Libby supporters. They act as if this piece of trash is a hero. This man intentionally tried to subvert the criminal justice process. It’s attitudes like this that have left me with no faith in our country’s justice system. As the saying goes: Steal a little and they throw you in jail. Steal a lot and they make you king. Cheney won’t be king, but the crook is walking free.
This is typical of Bush– shoot someone in the back and you’re a hero. Isn’t that what Jesus would do? Then again, you’d expect this from someone who is responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi women and children. When are Bush and Cheney scheduled for trial in front of the World Court for war crimes?
The drug runner was NOT seriously wounded, and you forgot to mention that our government gave him not only immunity (he was suspected of smuggling 700 lbs of marijuana) but a green card, which he then used to smuggle more drugs. I don’t think we had our best and brightest working on this case.
They should have been pardoned, period.
Devilcat, answer to the question in your last sentence:
Their trail will begin the same time you move out of the US.
Just be happy your man Obama won. Isn’t that enough?
Or are you like the guy in Broadcast News telling Peter Hackes, “well, I hope you die soon!”
Hey EJ - What about Clinton committing perjury? He was the president.
Hey devilcat, LBJ had hundreds of thousands killed in Viet Nam, but he was a democrap so I guess that is excusable.
Obama supports the killing of 1 million Americans this year.
And Clinton was impeached, Steve.