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February 10, 2009

Obama Responds to Leahy Proposal on Probing Bush Admin Crimes
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Back at the White House, President Obama took several other questions on
domestic and foreign policy at his inaugural news conference. Obama was
asked about Senator Patrick Leahy’s proposal for a truth and
reconciliation commission to investigate Bush administration crimes.

President Obama: “My view is also that nobody is above the law, and if
there are clear instances of wrongdoing, that people should be
prosecuted just like any ordinary citizen, but that, generally speaking,
I’m more interested in looking forward than I am in looking backwards. I
want to pull everybody together, including, by the way, the—all the
members of the intelligence community who have done things the right way
and have been working hard to protect America and I think sometimes are
painted with a broad brush without adequate information. So I will take
a look at Senator Leahy’s proposal, but my general orientation is to say
let’s get it right moving forward.”



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