Bush wants to halt Texas state's execution of a Mexican national for the brutal killing of two teenage girls.

Death Penalty Case Puts Bush and Texas at Odds Over Mexican's Fate, (Fox News, hat tip to Terri at Steel Magnolia

President Bush, who presided over 152 executions as governor of Texas, wants to halt the state's execution of a Mexican national for the brutal killing of two teenage girls.

The case of Jose Ernesto Medellin has become a confusing test of presidential power that the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears the case this week, ultimately will sort out.

The president wants to enforce a decision by the International Court of Justice that found the convictions of Medellin and 50 other Mexican-born prisoners violated their rights to legal help as outlined in the 1963 Vienna Convention.

That is the same court Bush has since said he plans to ignore if it makes similar decisions affecting state criminal laws.

"The president does not agree with the ICJ's interpretation of the Vienna Convention," the administration said in arguments filed with the court. This time, though, the U.S. agreed to abide by the international court's decision because ignoring it would harm American interests abroad, the government said.

Texas argues that neither the international court nor Bush has any say in Medellin's case.

Medellin was born in Mexico, but spent much of his childhood in the United States. He was 18 in June 1993, when he and other members of the Black and Whites gang in Houston encountered two teenage girls on a railroad trestle.

The girls were gang-raped and strangled. Their bodies were found four days later. (read it all)

You readers know what I think -- EXECUTE THEM, THE SOONER THE BETTER. This is another example of Bush showing his true colors. He is FOR open borders, there is no question in my mind.

Other opinions on this subject:
What is Bush thinking?, Hillbilly White Trash
Kill the Mexican?, Non Sequitur
Supremes Launch New Term - Plenty On The Docket And One Hopeful For The Docket, May It Please The Court
Jose Ernesto Medellin To Be Executed, bu.bulicio.us
Jose Ernesto Medellin v. Texas, Oyez
Bush Works Against Texas In Illegals Death Penalty Case, Dirt From Texas
texas v. world, Death Penalty
This Year, a Few Weighty Cases, NN World News and Work News NN

Comments

[Caine]

I voted for Bush. What was my choice? Kerry? Now I have to accept that when you vote for the lessor of two evils, you are going to get evil results...just hopefully less of them.

I, unfortunately, hold the same options open for the election next year. For, as this site so eloquently noted, not to vote--even for the lessor of two evils--is to vote for the greater of two evils.

Welcome to reality. I find little to get excited about on any of the Repulicans running as of right now. I just have much more to cringe about with the Democrats.

[suek]

I agree with all of the above. However...being the eternal optimist, I'm _hoping_ that his action is taken in order to quash tying up the rest of the cases in court appeals. I'm _hoping_ that this is the most clear-cut case of state's rights available, and that he's chosen to take this position in order to express ticket it to the Supreme Court, expecting to get a "forget it " decision that will establish a precedent for the rest of the Mexican killers in Texas courts. That's what I'm _hoping_.
If I'm wrong, or if the SC goes nuts and upholds this killer's "rights", I sure hope that since Mexico claims him as a citizen, we send him down there and don't have to support him for the rest of his natural life. Likewise the rest of them. Let them go back to Mexico and let Mexico deal with them.
Wouldn't it be funny if we did that - and they claimed that we couldn't send them back because they didn't speak spanish????? Heh...just thinking...!

[Wayne]

I just posted a link to your story from my site. The sooner Bush is out of office the better. The only people I have any confidence in restoring a value to being a citizen of the US would be: Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo - McClain thought amnesty was a solution and Rudy has no problems with New York being a sanctuary state allowing the criminal records of illegals not to follow them. "I'm Jose I have no record" I understand Fred is on the commission that is working on a superhighway from Mexico into the US. Don't know about Romney.

[Debbie]

Fred Thompson would be the man for the job.

[Steve]

And who would that Republican President be? McCain? He is right in line with Bush regarding immigration. Giuliani? Hell he supported New York's Sanctuary city policy.

[Debbie]

ROGER W. GARDNER: I'm with you on the new president, he needs to be a lot better than Bush on border control.

TERRI: That's so funny, and sad at the same time. Thanks for sharing.

[Terri]

I agree w/ you girl.

I had to share this with you:

I pledge allegiance to LaRaza and the United States of Mexico, and to the corruption, for which it stands, one cesspool, underground, in denial, with amnesty and green cards for all.

[Roger W. Gardner]

Bush's enigmatic stands on Mexico, southern border enforcement, and coddling of illegal aliens only leaves us wondering what he'll do next.

We can only hope that our new Republican president will be forceful and unambiguous in his determination to protect us.