A new poll conducted in Pennsylvania by Zogby International and commissioned by OpEdNews.com asked some of the questions the corporate media has failed to ask. The answers are surprising. One revelation is this: the single greatest predictor of an American's political views is whether she or he watches Fox News.
One of the long neglected questions asked was this:
"Some people say that President Bush lied so that we would go to war with Iraq. Others say he was given faulty intelligence and did not intentionally mislead the nation." 51.8% told the pollsters that they agreed with "Those who say Bush lied." 44.8% agreed with "Those who say he did not intentionally mislead the nation."
Among those who said that they or a family member was a member of the military, 44.6% said Bush lied. Catholics, Protestants, and Born Agains leaned significantly toward trusting Bush, whereas Jews and atheists decidedly consider him a liar. Belief that Bush lied was highest among atheists, at 86.2%.
White people also are more likely to trust Bush, whereas all racial minority groups lean toward believing he lied. Hispanics lead the way at 88.2%.
By far the most dramatic determinant of belief that Bush lied was the respondent's most watched television network for news. Viewers of ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC, ranged between 89.1% and 63.2% believing Bush lied. Among Fox viewers, a whopping 2.3% believe Bush lied. Those who listen to a lot of talk radio were also less likely to believe Bush lied than those who listen to little or none.
Zogby also asked "Do you agree or disagree that the president has the right to use military force against Iran without the support of Congress?" 62.5% disagreed 32.1% agreed
Among those in the armed forces or with military family members 53.8% disagreed, while 40.8% agreed. The only religious group in which a majority believe the president has the right to attack Iran is Born Agains, and only by a margin of 46.8% to 40.9%. Every racial group disagrees.
Viewers of the non-Fox television networks disagreed in percentages ranging from 96.9% to 68.8%. Among viewers of Fox, only 14.7% disagree that the president has the right to attack Iran without support from Congress.
The same poll asked three questions related to censure or impeachment.
45.9% of those surveyed said they were either "much more likely" or "somewhat more likely" to vote for a candidate who supports starting an investigation of Bush that could lead to impeachment. 45.2% said they were either "somewhat less likely" or "much less likely."
Among non-Fox viewers, support for pro-impeachment candidates ranges from 60.4% to 75.3%. Among Fox viewers, it's at 1.8%.
Asked simply whether they support or oppose starting a Congressional investigation into Vice President Dick Cheney that could lead to impeachment, 48.9% said they supported that, while 45.8% opposed.
Among non-Fox viewers, support for moving toward impeachment of Cheney ranges from 70.5% to 77.5%. Among Fox viewers, support is at 2.0%
Support was considerably lower for censure, with 28.2% supporting censure of Bush for NSA spying, 19.1% supporting censure of Bush for the war, and 45.7% opposing censure on both grounds. On this question, the gap between Fox viewers and others was much smaller.
DAVID SWANSON is a co-founder of After Downing Street, a writer and activist, and the Washington Director of Democrats.com. He is a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, and serves on the Executive Council of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, TNG-CWA. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including Press Secretary for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 presidential campaign, Media Coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as Communications Coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Swanson obtained a Master's degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia in 1997.
The proof it was a lie was that CIA agent Valerie Plames husband went to Nigeria to see if the reports of Nigeria selling yellow cake uranium was true. He found it untrue, and reported it to the White House. The White House did not support his claim and actually went on a campaign to discredit him, by revealing the identity of his wife as a CIA agent by Bush authorizing Cheney to have Scooter Libby discredit him by leaking the information to the Press.
If the White House took credence to his facts, they would not have gone to war, and the idea of finding no WMD an obvious misnomer.
No weapons of mass destruction proved Wilson to be right about the yellow cake. This therefore proves Bush lied about the War. There is no mistake Bush lied about going to War, because intelligence was correct, and he simply did not want to accept it.
Bush is a liar, and a murderer.
by
Dom Jermano (20 articles, 0 quicklinks, 40 diaries, 930 comments)
on Friday, May 12, 2006 at 3:49:45 AM
Those Fox news viewers really know their man. I wonder how many of them ever vist their public library. ...or even know where it is!
I believe the approach of impeaching the Vice President first is a better strategic tactic for dismantling the current Administration's war on F.D.R.'s New Deal. Once the "Shrub" has his life-support removed, not even Karl Rove can wedge-issue revival.
by
CarFixer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Saturday, May 13, 2006 at 4:32:34 AM
I will really, really feel that we are actually getting some place in helping the American public sort through the laws governing war when a pollster asks, “Are you aware that starting an aggressive war is an international crime?”
The question of whether Bush has the right to go to war without the consent of Congress is fatuous. Even if Congress gives its consent it is still criminal activity if it does not meet the two requirements necessary in order for a nation to declare war legally.
Maniac
by
Mary Wentworth (7 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments)
on Sunday, May 14, 2006 at 10:41:38 PM
3 comments
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