Promise to pardon the border patrolmen, Mr. McCain

Memo to John McCain:

You looked good in the last debate. You're closing in on Barack Obama. But you still haven't accomplished the thing you most want - a clear line of distinction between you and President Bush.

Here's how you draw that line in bold black letters: Annouonce that, on your first day in office, you will pardon Alonso Compean and Ignascio Ramos. Moreover, you will restore them to immediate active duty as border patrolmen if they so choose. You will direct that the two men be reimbursed for the salaries they have lost, with perhaps something extra.

President Bush's Justice Department chose to prosecute Compean and Ramos for shooting a suspected drug smuggler in the buttocks as he fled across the U.S.-Mexico border. After a two-week trial, in March, 2006, Compean was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Ramos to 11 yeasr and one day on charges of causing serious bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm in relation to a crime of ivolence and civil rights violations.

It's a little difficult to figure out which gallery the frat-boy president was playing to at the time, but the prosecution didn't play well with the public, except, of course, for the drug dealers and growers.

The incident happened as Ramos and Compean were responding to the border patrol's pursuit of Osbaldo-Aldrete-Davila, an illegal alien from Mexico, who was driving a ran loaded with 800 pounds of marijuana.

The Bush Justice Department gave full immunity to the suspect, but charged the border patrolmen.

While this is not the only stumble the frat-boy president has made, it is one of the most egregious. If you correct it, you can't help but win some votes.

You also will have shouted "I'm not George Bush," one more time, but this time your shout will be heard.