If Congress has the power to deny funding to our troops in the field, in the middle of a war… which they do…. then they certainly have the power to deny funds to the Executive branch to imprison these two border agents. There is absolutely no question… congress can do that !! Read your Constitution for heaven sake !!

Maxx on October 10, 2007 at 11:15 AM

Article 2: Section 2: Clause 1

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

It doesn’t get any plainer or simpler than that.

Let’s get some folks together and get them (Ramos / Compean) out.

Border Patrol agents’ jobs don’t include serving as judge, jury and executioner …

Thought you read the transcript there Laguna Dave … I never read about a body assuming room temperature … please cite the reference …

Our gov’t defends a scumbag drug dealer and imprisons 2 border patrol agents trying to do their jobs in this ass-backwards, corrupt system

I read every word of the trial transcripts; Compean and Ramos were guilty as hell.

Border Patrol agents’ jobs don’t include serving as judge, jury and executioner of people they suspect might be illegal aliens and/or drug dealers, nor does it include corruptly destroying and covering-up evidence of their own wrong-doing after the fact.

The precedent is being created now–in plain sight!–for the US to become just another territory in North America. Our forefathers are spinning in their graves while AP and See-Dub split hairs and call us wild-eyed conspiracy theorists.

If the shoe fits…

The precedent is being created now–in plain sight!–for the US to become just another territory in North America. Our forefathers are spinning in their graves while AP and See-Dub split hairs and call us wild-eyed conspiracy theorists.

Christine on October 10, 2007 at 1:03 PM

Yep… that sums it up nicely.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), also spoke on the House floor in opposition to the amendment, saying that if Congress “were to suspend the process every time we thought one case was more popular than the other, it would just upend the idea of justice as we know it in this country, because I think all of us could come here to the floor and tell of a unique story where someone was wronged by the system of justice in this country.”

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) said during floor debate on the amendment that it is a last resort measure. “If there were another way to do this, I assure you we would look at it,” he said. “We have tried everything imaginable to get these two people to actually get justice, and the justice would be to set them free.”

Congress controls the money. They can fund or not fund whatever they choose. And if you don’t think Congress has the power to effectively undo the courts decision by refusing funds, then you have never read the Constitution. Congress can refuse to fund ANYTHING they don’t agree with(period). Furthermore…Congress actually has the power to deny the courts jurisdiction over a given subject.

U.S. Constitution: Article 3, Section 2, clause 2

In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.

There was talk in Congress of doing exactly that after the nonsense decision to take “God” out of the pledge of allegiance. Congress never did it, but the court has seemed to back off. Congress can restricts the courts and they can deny money to anyone for anything… that’s the fact. They have absolute power of the purse.

If Congress has the power to deny funding to our troops in the field, in the middle of a war… which they do…. then they certainly have the power to deny funds to the Executive branch to imprison these two border agents. There is absolutely no question… congress can do that !! Read your Constitution for heaven sake !!

Once again Rep. Tom Tancredo is correct and the dirtball Democrat: i.e. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, is wrong !

Correct. I agree with you that it’s a de facto commutation of the sentence, but people were talking about a legislative pardon, which this isn’t, because the conviction would stand.

First of all, since when have the Democrats ever given a rat’s ass about what the Constitution says?

Good point, Democrats don’t care about such nonsense.

More to the point there has been no “declaration of war” – as specified in the Constitution – since World War 2. What is in place now is called the “Iraq War Resolution.” Of course Congress could rescind that, and/or issue a new resolution anytime it wants.

You say tomato I say tomatoe…

Since no Democrat can call a spade a spade why should I?

Ask the USAF members/ask the US population if it is a war or some sort of “conflict”

Last I checked the MSM calls it a War not a conflict.

I know that we never officially declared war, the simple fact is that we should be/are fighting it like one.

…once a president, makes war and the congress approves the funding (aka agrees with the president) I don’t think it was the intent of the framers to say congress can stop it after that point just because.
F15Mech on October 9, 2007 at 10:32 PM

First of all, since when have the Democrats ever given a rat’s ass about what the Constitution says?

More to the point there has been no “declaration of war” – as specified in the Constitution – since World War 2. What is in place now is called the “Iraq War Resolution.” Of course Congress could rescind that, and/or issue a new resolution anytime it wants.

However that is NOT what the Democrats in Congress want, no matter what they tell their moonbat minions. They know that getting blamed for a return to genocide, totalitarianism and expanded base of operations for our enemies would be political suicide with the 95% of the electorate who don’t worship Che Rivera as a god.

If the Democrats could somehow force BUSH to do their dirty work and surrender to the terrorists, the Democrats would be tickled pink. But that’s the one issue Bush will never cave on. So failing that, all the Congressional Democrats want to do is muck up the waters and make Bush’s job as difficult as possible. They are fully invested in America’s defeat, but they know full well they’ll be kicked out of office if they got the blood on their own hands.

Agreed.

But better late than not.

It’s also not a pardon, because it says nothing about the convictions, just about the punishment. Still a lousy idea.

It’s a de facto commutation of the sentence.

I’m not saying this new rider is a good idea. It certainly is not. I’m just saying it’s hardly unprecedented.

It’s also not a pardon, because it says nothing about the convictions, just about the punishment. Still a lousy idea.

Spirit of 1776 on October 9, 2007 at 10:21 PM

As Spirit said they could, since they do have the purse, however once a president, makes war and the congress approves the funding (aka agrees with the president) I don’t think it was the intent of the framers to say congress can stop it after that point just because. That power should come from the president. If you want a war stopped/de-funded then elect a new president.

Course I was just a baby back then so I may have missed something.

Spirit of 1776 on October 9, 2007 at 10:21 PM

Course I was just a baby back then so I may have missed something.

btw ccr6 I’m with F15Mech on intent. The state were in today has been nuanced over the years.

In the Realm of Bad Ideas, this one is colossal…

I can’t wait to see what Reid and Pelosi will do with a legislative pardon power.

For starters, we can say goodby to Gitmo.