If you’ve been watching Fox News lately, you’ve probably seen the story of Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi who is in a Mexican jail after driving across the border – via a wrong turn, he says – with three guns. Mexican gun laws are very strict. Last night, Bill O’Reilly announced that if Tahmooressi is not released today, “we have something that Mexico is not going to like.”
O’Reilly has been admirably restrained and cautious about Tahmooressi’s case, saying he wanted all the facts and questioning Tahmooressi’s claim of going to Mexico by mistake. But last night, O’Reilly adjudged Tahmooressi innocent: “We believe he made an honest mistake and we believe the Mexicans once again are over-reacting and punishing an American when they don’t have to.”
In an “Is It Legal?” segment last night, O’Reilly told attorneys Lis Wiehl and Kimberly Guilfoyle that the Mexicans should take the guns and fine Tahmooressi.
Guilfoyle said that at a hearing scheduled for today, Tahmooressi will probably be allowed to post bail and return to the U.S. “never to re-enter Mexico” as a way for the country to both let him go and save face. However, she said the Mexican attorney general should dismiss the charges.
That’s when O’Reilly announced: “If he’s not let out tomorrow, we have a – we have something that Mexico is not going to like.”
“Uh-oh,” Guilfoyle – ever the suck-up - said.
O’Reilly added, “So, tomorrow’s Factor, we’ll tell you what the story is."
You may recall that O'Reilly took credit for the release of a previous prisoner he threatened Mexico over. I'm sure the entire government - or maybe the entire country - is quaking in its boots at the thought of the misery in store for them if they don't measure up. I'm also pretty sure that O'Reilly will take at least some credit if Tahmooressi is released today.
That’s the Merida Initiative. Here’s some info on this program and why the Bush admin (announced Oct. 2007) thought it should be implemented.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10180.html
http://www.lawg.org/component/content/article/79/165
NOTE TO BILLY
Put your money where your mouth is and go get the Marine from the Mexican prison.
Btw, Mexico should be very afraid…BOR has started a petition on his website. The petition makes no mention of a tourism boycott, a tequila boycott, etc.
But, in seriousness, let’s turn the tables here, shall we? Mr Loofah, are you honestly suggesting that all those illegal immigrants from Mexico shouldn’t worry about their “breaking the law?” I mean, maybe they really planned to become legal immigrants but they just “forgot” to file all the legal paperwork and documentation before they crossed the border. Or maybe they just “made a mistake” in trusting the skeevy Mexican guys who told them “Pay us 10,000 pesos and we’ll help you become US citizens.” Something tells me, Mr Loofah, that neither of those excuses would suffice for you.