Critical UPDATE 3/17: A new Rasmussen poll has the numbers reversed! 45% opposed and 38% in favor of censure. A poll by the American American Research Group, released yesterday, had claimed that more Americans want Bush censured than didn't want Bush censured for alleged misdeeds committed in spying on suspected terrorists telephone calls. Is it possible the American people simply don't know what the word "censure" means?

Here is how Rasmussen worded the question:

Senator Russ Feingold has introduced a measure to censure, or publicly reprimand, President Bush for authorizing the NSA wiretapping program. Should President Bush be censured for authorizing the NSA wiretapping program?

Dan Riehl has further analysis. My original post from yesterday in which I questioned the legitimacy of the poll is below. I said something was fishy, and I guess I was right!

------------------------- According to this poll, more Americans support censuring President Bush than oppose censuring President Bush.

I don't know anything about The American Research Group or about Dick Bennett, who runs the New Hampshire polling firm, but the numbers seem very odd to me. Either these numbers are WAY OFF, or every single Senate Democrat (with the exception of Russ Feingold) has lost their sense of the direction as to which way the political wind is blowing. Now, there are a lot of bad things I could say about Hillary Clinton, but accusing her of not being politically astute would never be one of them!

I don't find it hard to believe that 70% of Democrats would want Bush censured, but 29% of Republicans? Unless, of course, Andy Sullivan is still calling himself a Republican, I just don't buy it.

The same poll claims that 47% of independents want the President impeached. So, more independents want the President of the United States impeached than censured? What the hell kind of logic is that?

The Left, as expected, are soiling their panties over this one. They smell blood in the water and are pouncing. What is so interesting about the Left, which usually prides itself in its epistemelogical relativism, is how they claim to know reality as it really is. Glenn Greenwald makes the assertion that what the wiretapping program is breaking the law, as if that were an objective fact, and then advises:

Go forth and censure.

We know they weren't just spying on terrorists.

The President broke the law.

Are the American people actually operating under the impression that when the NSA spies on international telephone calls that this somehow doesn't fall under the Executive Branch's broad Article II power over foreign policy? That the President is breaking the law? It's possible. Like I said, when you say the same thing over and over again people sometimes begin to believe it.

But no matter how often this poll is cited in the next few days, I'll still have a hard time believing its true.

Posted by: Rusty at 02:47 PM | Comments (24) | Add Comment
Post contains 576 words, total size 4 kb.

1 oh god. Another non-scandal.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at March 16, 2006 05:33 PM (8e/V4)

2 Please, Republicans don't answer the phone and if they do they have hung up before the pollster get's through their first sentence. How many Republicans (like myself) are never polled because we have no home phone....... I look forward to seeing how wrong the polls are for the 06 elections

Posted by: Fred Fry at March 16, 2006 06:11 PM (HJnrm)

3 Newflash to these morons, Bush isn't running for reelection.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at March 16, 2006 06:15 PM (8e/V4)

4 Rusty Have any info on the potential and future impact on any kind of polling by those (like myself) who now depend solely on cell phones. I'm out of the loop on any kind of landline based polling/sales etc.

Posted by: hondo at March 16, 2006 06:24 PM (9pQ6D)

5 I LOVE THEY WAY THE QUESTION IS WORDED! I already know that if the wording on THIS question is altered - the results would do a 180!!!!! IS THAT IT? IS THIS ALL YOU GOT? I'd love to go the Censure Hearing" route on this - preferably a few months prior to the '06 elections! Please! Do it! Any wonder why the Dems sheepishly slithered away from this one. My God! Who's in charge over there? they really have no clue whose turn it is to wipe.

Posted by: hondo at March 16, 2006 06:40 PM (9pQ6D)

6 Does anyone ever take these wacko, fringe group polls serious?? Well, other than the Wackos!

Posted by: Mike at March 16, 2006 07:18 PM (2tRi8)

7 Wowser. Pixy Misa commented? This must be serious. ;-) Don't shoot me, just teasing. It's my understanding that the word "wiretapping" is inaccurate. And the question only addresses the fact that an American is on the phone. Not some scum sucking, American hating, got-my-citizenship-only-so-I-could-sue-someone, ACLU loving a**hole.

Posted by: Oyster at March 16, 2006 08:29 PM (YudAC)

8 Oyster! GAWD! THE LANGUAGE!

Posted by: hondo at March 16, 2006 08:45 PM (9pQ6D)

9 Hey! I drank wine tonight. I have an excuse. [burp]

Posted by: Oyster at March 16, 2006 08:59 PM (YudAC)

10 You go on with your bad self girl.

Posted by: Imprbulus Maximus at March 16, 2006 09:10 PM (0yYS2)

11 Oyster, I remember Pixy Misa coming in here one time with a gang of playful otters. Or is that herd of otters? Whatever, I can't even remember what we were talking about, but it might have been religion. She can eviscerate you if she wants to, I can tell you that. Oh, hi, Pixy Misa, how do you do?

Posted by: jesusland joe at March 16, 2006 09:45 PM (rUyw4)

12 And one more comment to fix my URL...

Posted by: Pixy Misa at March 16, 2006 10:03 PM (RbYVY)

13 I don't know what you find so hard to believe about 29% of Republicans wanting censure. It was your party that was saying for years the president is not above the law. It seems 29% of your base must believe it.

Posted by: Dick Tuck at March 17, 2006 03:13 AM (lZePN)

14 Too many people use poll results to help influence their own decisions. Those that do are intellectually lazy. I'm not saying anyone here is, but you get my drift. This poll question, in particular, was asked with an assumption that the people responding knew enough about the issue to answer knowledgeably. BTW: I commented on several threads last night after a wine tasting. I tend to get snarky when drunk. Do I owe anyone an apology?

Posted by: Oyster at March 17, 2006 06:46 AM (YudAC)

15 Maybe a lot of people didn't read the whole question - I think he should be censured, but for signing McCain-Feingold and for overseeing profligate spending.

Posted by: Glenmore at March 17, 2006 06:56 AM (loaB2)

16 This place is a scream. What a sewer. Your Dear Leader is spying on domestic calls without a warrant, between Americans. This isn't in dispute. But hey - cry about "poll bias" or whatever denial game you cultists play. It's just amusing to watch your sinking ship and the antics you go through in the process.

Posted by: Bud Grant at March 17, 2006 09:34 AM (/gcFd)

17 Can we realy trust any poll taken by the liberals anyway? polls like CNN/TIME AP/UPI and the rest of them are a little suspecious to me

Posted by: sandpiper at March 17, 2006 09:52 AM (D9h75)

18 Uh, Bud, we're all on the same ship. Sorry to be the one to break the bad news to you. And didn't you die, or at least retire? Whatever, get to bailing!

Posted by: jesusland joe at March 17, 2006 10:13 AM (rUyw4)

19 "This isn't in dispute." Yes it is.

Posted by: Oyster at March 17, 2006 11:21 AM (g9UJq)

20 A significant plurality of Americans can't spell "censure", much less explain what it is.

Posted by: Theocrat at March 17, 2006 12:44 PM (daAGo)

21 Boy! Now that's a winning strategy! I'm lovin' it! Oh! But you can spell it .... sooooo .... the message (claim) is ..... what exactly? Please! Pile on more of this winnin' formula!

Posted by: hondo at March 17, 2006 02:21 PM (9pQ6D)

22 I think I understand what Theocrat means. Start asking around to your colleagues what the word means and see how many are right. I'm sure it would depend on the environment one works in, but where I work we have a lot of double digit IQs and the first digit is "0".

Posted by: Oyster at March 17, 2006 02:26 PM (g9UJq)

23 Libtards like Bud can't seem to grasp that though he's entitled to his own opinion, he isn't entitled to his own facts. Jesus H., liberals are stupid.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at March 18, 2006 05:29 AM (0yYS2)

24 Thanks Rusty. When the pundits started quoting this poll over the weekend. Cokie Roberts, whom I like but she quoted it anyway, for example. I knew exactly which poll and how it was taken and how it was skewed. Rusty kicks ass no question.

Posted by: Howie at March 20, 2006 03:43 PM (D3+20)

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