Truth & Reconciliation Petition

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The past is just prologue unless we understand our mistakes and set things right.

 

As President Obama told the nation on Tuesday night, "it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment" that we can move forward. That rule applies not only to fixing our broken economy, but also to reestablishing America as a nation of laws after eight years of renegade rule.

 

With over 35,000 signatures to date, our petition at BushTruthCommission.com is rapidly building grassroots support for a commission that will uncover the truth about Bush-Cheney Administration abuses. I am humbled that so many Americans have stood up in support of establishing a truth and reconciliation commission, and grateful that our efforts have led the press, outside groups, my Congressional colleagues, and the White House to start taking this idea seriously.

 

We need to continue to show that the American people are committed to uncovering the truth about the misdeeds of the last administration -- so that we can ensure the same mistakes are not repeated.

 

As one of the earliest signers of the BushTruthCommission.com petition, I need your help to gather 50,000 petition signatures by next week. Please invite your friends and family to add their names to the petition today.

 

What little we know about the Bush-Cheney Administration's use of extraordinary rendition, torture, and secret legal memos to subvert the Constitution underscores the need for an independent inquiry.

 

When I first came to the Senate in 1975, the Church Committee was working to expose the excesses of the Watergate era. Last weekend's New York Times credited that effort with "[leading] directly to a series of reforms" curbing executive power and restoring the Constitution.

 

The time for asking questions and getting answers has come once again. In the words of Frederick A. O. Schwarz Jr., who served as chief counsel for the Church Committee and supports a new truth commission, "It may seem that we already know a lot, but based on my experience, I'm certain there's a lot that went on the last eight years that we still don't know."

 

Americans embrace this notion, with 6 in 10 supporting an investigation into Bush-Cheney Administration abuses. But that popular sentiment alone won't make it so, and we must keep the pressure on to consider establishing a truth and reconciliation commission.

 

Please help make this idea a reality by inviting all your friends and family to add their names to our petition at BushTruthCommission.com today.

 

Thank you for supporting our effort to uncover the full truth about the misdeeds and excesses of the Bush-Cheney Administration, so that they may never happen again.

 

Sincerely,

 

Patrick Leahy

U.S. Senator

 

Watch Senator Leahy's video and sign the petition here:

http://www.bushtruthcommission.com/