Americans should ask these questions.
They should ask, how many Democrats knew about plans to use "enhanced interrogation methods" (a sanitized term or euphemism for torture) in the "war on terror" in 2002? in 2003? in 2004? in 2005?
The Bush Administration does not have an obligation to say or do anything because Democrats are not saying or doing anything.
Obama’s plan to move forward and focus on not letting the crimes happen again may be acceptable for some, but the reality is that this plan is foolhardy at best and wills people into a state of amnesia and naiveté.
By refusing to take a stand on the crimes government has committed over the past decade (and prior to that), Obama actually makes it more possible for those crimes to happen again because without legally repudiating the policies, they may still seem legitimate to some. Those who find the policies of torture (or the policies of war which violate international law) to be legitimate will repeat the nightmares perpetrated by the Bush Administration without any hesitation.
The reality is that if we do not want to be in this situation again four or eight years from now---this situation where officials prance around in front of the press going, "Yes, I did it, and no, I don't care."---than we better commit ourselves to a campaign that calls for the prosecution of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Yoo, Addington, and anybody else who was involved in authorizing torture and other war crimes or crimes against humanity.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).