President George Bush issued 14 pardons and two commutations of sentence recently.  “Great,” you may think.  “He’s released Sgt Hutchins, and pardoned the rest of the Pendleton 8, and SSG Ray Girouard, and Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean.”  Right?

Wrong.

The Center for Individual Freedom breaks it down: “bank embezzlers, tax evaders and a rapper, John E. Forte, who was convicted of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine.”

Meanwhile, for those still unfamiliar with the Ramos/Compean case, these are the facts:

Compean and Ramos were [Border Patrol agents] convicted almost solely on the word of a known illegal alien drug smuggler who claimed that Compean and Ramos shot him in the butt while he was attempting to escape.

Incidentally, this smuggler was attempting to transport 743 pounds of marijuana into the United States at the time of the incident.

In exchange for his testimony, the smuggler was granted blanket immunity and allowed to come and go across the border almost at will and was actually caught attempting to transport more drugs into the United States while waiting to testify against Compean and Ramos.

The court WOULD NOT allow this fact to be submitted during the trial.

And, in what may be the greatest irony of this whole case, the smuggler was eventually convicted of the smuggling offenses that occurred AFTER he was granted immunity and was sentenced to LESS TIME than Compean and Ramos.

Does George Bush have the sense of integrity to right this travesty before he leaves office?  Doubtful.  One of the most horrifying legacies of the Bush administration is the number of honorable troops and law enforcement personnel who were charged, imprisoned, and convicted–falsely–on his watch.