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You probably didn’t read about it in your newspaper, which spent more space on the season’s new television shows that what was going on up on Capitol Hill. You certainly didn’t see it on Fox News. You probably didn’t get even a whiff of it even on NPR, and it’s hard to find out on the blogosphere.

Yet, two days ago, an historic vote was held on the floor of the United States Senate - and the Senate’s Republicans chose to keep America’s eyes clenched shut.

Senator Carl Levin offered a simple amendment (S.Amdt. 2430) that all America should be able to rally around: To create a commission to investigate the policies and practices in Bush’s system of secret prisons. Was abuse taking place in these secret prisons? Was torture occurring? Senator Levin’s commission would have investigated these important questions.

Of course, George W. Bush says that no torture has taken place, but what evidence has he produced? None, just his word. We all know how much that’s worth. In the meantime, a mountain of evidence has accumulated, all suggesting that a worldwide system of torture prison has been established by the Bush Administration.

We deserve the truth. America needs a commission to uncover the whole truth on what happens in these prisons. Yet, Carl Levin’s amendment to create such a commission was voted down by the Senate Republicans. Not a single Republican voted in favor of the commission. No, not even Senator John McCain.

Now is the time to put pressure on the Senate, to let our senators know that we the people expect them to live up to their duty to oversee the activities of the Executive Branch. Without such oversight, serious crimes can be committed, and we would never be the wiser.

I have put together a resource related to the creation of this independent commission on torture. It contains two lists: One list of the senators who did the right thing and voted in favor of the commission, and a second list of the senators who did the wrong thing, and tried to help the Bush Administration cover up its actions by voting against the commission. Both lists include senators’ telephone numbers, as well as a link to a congressional scorecard page with more information about how to contact each senator.

Please, get in touch with your senators and let them know that you’re tired of seeing the Bush Administration drag America’s reputation through the mud. Let your senators know that you want the truth about what’s been going on in Bush’s secret prisons. Let your senators know that the only way to restore America’s reputation is to get the whole truth out, and to punish those who have broken the law and broken our trust.