Bush Should Pardon Ramos and Compean

Matt Lewis | December 01, 2008 9:41 AM

This is not an original idea, but I think it's appropriate to use this space to call upon President Bush to pardon U.S. Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean

. The two, of course, were convicted of violating gun laws and of shooting a drug smuggler (and covering it up) in 2005.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue of illegal immigration, this one should be a no-brainer. These guys work under an incredibly stressful environment where they are up against, well, drug dealers trying to sneak into the country. If there were ever a justifiable occasion to exercise the president's pardon power -- and to demonstrate "compassionate conservatism" -- this would be it.