More poll numbers on the issue of domestic spying. Richard Morin hawks up an ABC-WaPo poll which finds the usual partisal split:
Most Americans said they have paid close attention to the controversy over the program, and a bare majority of those surveyed, 51 percent, said it is an acceptable way to fight terrorism, while 47 percent said it is not. Beneath those overall findings, however, were sharp partisan divisions.
Among Republicans, 75 percent said the Bush program is acceptable, while 61 percent of Democrats said it is unacceptable.
Independents called the program unacceptable by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent.
More generally, two in three Americans said it is more important to investigate possible terrorist threats than to protect civil liberties. One-third said the respect for privacy should take precedence. [65%-32%]
Republicans overwhelmingly favored aggressive investigation, with more than four in five saying that is their preference, while Democrats were split 51 percent to 47 percent on which should take precedence. Independents favored relatively unfettered pursuit of possible terrorism by nearly 2 to 1. The poll sample of 1,001 adults broke down this way: 31 percent Democrat, 30 percent Republican, 34 percent independent, 5 percent other and 1 percent absolute idiots with no opinion. The poll had more conservatives than in the past 10 or so polls, with 37 percent of respondents identifying themselves as such vs. 20 percent liberals and 40 percent moderates.
What's also interesting is that the percentage of those who "strongly disapprove" of "the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president" was 39 percent, ten points higher than the percentage who strongly approve. 52 percent disapprove of the way Bush is handling "ethics in government" vs. 45 percent who approve.
On the WOT, Bush gets better markes -- 53 percent approve and 45 percent do not. (55 percent disapprove of how Congress is doing its job and only 41 percent approve there). Read the tabs for the poll yourself here.
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