To the editor:

Justice is always retrospective.

Earlier this week, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) called for the establishment of a “Truth Commission” to look into various unconstitutional actions by the Bush Administration.

John Yoo, the man who produced the legal memo setting the stage for torture under Bush recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal that Bush — on three separate occasions! — authorized waterboarding, an interrogation technique universally recognized as torture. That is the truth.

Let the prosecution process begin ­— a full criminal investigation led by the Department of Justice, with prosecutions where it is found that the laws of the United States have been violated.

We don’t need to go through the charade of watching Karl Rove defy congressional subpoenas again. We simply need the Justice Department to do its job and launch a criminal investigation. Please ask Attorney General Eric Holder when he will start this process. His phone number is 202-514-2001 and e-mail is askdoj@usdoj.gov. Then copy to your senator (google senate.gov).

While you’re at it you can leave Barack a message at 202-456-1111.

John Hurd

Clinton