A proposal by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont to create a "truth commission" to investigate abuses by the Bush administration is getting a lukewarm reaction from President Barack Obama.
Leahy says the commission’s goal would be to learn the truth rather than to prosecute Bush administration officials. Among the matters Leahy wants investigated are: the firings of U.S. attorneys, treatment and torture of terror suspect detainees, and the authorization of warrantless wiretapping.
Obama says he believes no one should be above the law, but his primary focus is on getting government policies right going forward.
The president says if criminal conduct can be proved, government officials should be prosecuted just like any ordinary citizen.