Americans Divided on Investigating Bush-Era Interrogations

[BlueJessamine]

Source: GALLUP

PRINCETON, NJ -- The American public is evenly divided on the Justice Department's appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's use of harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects. A new Gallup Poll finds that 47% of Americans approve and 49% disapprove.

The Obama administration has grappled since it took office with whether to launch a probe into the Bush administration's use of controversial techniques such as waterboarding. Some members of Congress have long called for an investigation, but the president himself has seemed reluctant to back an investigation into the matter, saying he does not want to look backward on this issue. Nevertheless, Attorney General Eric Holder announced last week that his own review of a CIA report that detailed the government's interrogation program prompted him to begin a preliminary investigation into the matter.

The Aug. 31-Sept. 2 Gallup Poll finds that rank-and-file Democrats and Republicans have fairly uniform opposing views on this issue. Seventy-three percent of Democrats approve of the investigation, while 75% of Republicans oppose it. Republican Party leaders, most prominently former Vice President Dick Cheney, have publicly opposed a review of the government's former interrogation methods.

Independents are more likely to disapprove (55%) than to approve (40%) of the probe into Bush-era interrogation methods.

snip

Bottom Line

When Attorney General Holder announced the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the use of harsh interrogation methods, he acknowledged it would be controversial. The new Gallup data underscore this assumption, finding a U.S. public that is evenly divided as to whether his decision to pursue an investigation is the right one.



Read more: http://www.gallup.com/poll/122753/Americans-Divided-Investigating-Bush-Era-Interrogations.aspx

[fascisthunter]

1. the law is the law irregardless of Americans "Feel"

[santamargarita]

13. Absolutely!

:}

[lbrtbell]

15. You got that sh*t right!

Laws aren't selectively enforced based on their popularity.

[Vidar]

17. Absolutely correct. Instead they are selectively enforced based on corporate interests.

[BobRossi]

2. Bigger fish to fry.

Plainly, those in Washington are not good multi-taskers. The economy and jobs is priority one.

[No Elephants]

19. I would say health care is priority one. Among many other things, our current system wrecks the

economy AND kills people whom we cannot revive when our finances improve. Then, jobs.

[Xipe Totec]

3. Gee, maybe we should have votes on when to follow the law and when to ignore it

We could save a lot of money by prosecuting crimes selectively.

Maybe we could prosecute theft on mondays wednesdays and fridays, and murder on Sundays.

Or maybe we could replace juries with popularity polls.

[90-percent]

4. No investigations

Those that choose to "look forward" on war crimes and torture and murder and bogus wars are condemning future generations to more of the same.

Pretty clear these days that power does not give a rat's ass about the future and those that will be living it.

Fuck the future. I got mine, and you're on your own.

Nice, real nice. The world is being wrecked merely by selfishness and stupidity.

Please tell me again why an average person should respect our labyrinth of laws while those that are rich and powerful are above the law?

-90% jimmy

[global1]

5. Why Is It That Just About Every Poll Taken On Any Issue Is Evenly Divided .......

around 50-50?

I have come to discount any poll that any organization takes now - because there always seems to be a bias introduced by the polling organization or by the way the question is asked to begin with.

I don't think we'll ever get completely unbiased poll results again.

Like the old accounting joke - ask an accountant how much 2 + 2 equals - and a good accountant will ask - what do you want it to equal?

I rest my case - and I surrender.

[irislake]

6. Hmmmph!

Guess 49% of Americans don't care what the insignificant rest of the world thinks of their country. Here's one unimportant outsider who is pretty disgusted. Not that it matters.

Anyway looks as if Obama isn't going to change American foreign or domestic policy. That being the case outsiders can only hope your country bankrupts itself completely fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and probably Iran -- not to mention funding further coups in South America --- so that you will have to abandon plans for "full spectrum dominance".

Sheesh!

I should stop reading DU before breakfast. It ruins an absolutely beautiful day.

[gtar100]

7. Translation: American's divided on following the law

Hey, let's put up all our decisions regarding justice for a vote. Or maybe just a public opinion poll.

[leveymg]

8. Look at the way the stupid poll was phrased "harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects"

Sure, great, go ahead and be "harsh". But, if you phrase the question a little differently: "Should the Justice Dept. investigate CIA and White House officials who ordered detainees partially drowned, hung from the ceiling for six days, and subjected to other physical and psychological torture techniques so that they can't clearly remember details or testify in court", you'll get entirely different results. Betya.

[Downwinder]

9. As long as we are governing by poll, why are the troops not home? n/t

[Indydem]

14. Because when * defied the polls, he was a steadfast leader...

When Barack Obama doesn't follow the sniveling ignorant masses, he is a dictator.

Didn't you get the memo from the press?

[IndianaGreen]

22. We only follow polls when convenient, and ignore them when it is not.

Most Americans support single payer.

[Mari333]

10. lot of people dont like the mirror

to investigate the TORTURE would mean they would have to see what they have allowed for all these yrs...that blows their fantasies of the USA as a decent law abiding No1 nation ...a lot of people dont want to see themselves as nazis. time for a wake up call.

[ScottLand]

11. I agree this is a dumb way to decide an issue like this.

Did we take a poll to decide whether to do anything about Madoff? How about Hitler? Did we run around and ask how many Americans feel we should respond to Pearl Harbor and then act accordingly?

[IDemo]

12. So?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qKMKzTXkbf0/SXc1YfjS8LI/AAAAAAAACK0/nCsWgtinNZI/s400/Cheney+Grimace.jpg

[daleo]

16. No blue dress, no investigation

Lying about oral sex is a crime, but lying about war and torture are okey-dokey.

[Tippy]

18. When on breaks the law there should be consequences

The Gallup Poll is condoning breaking the law if enough people say they think it is ok...So when is Gallup going to do a pole on any crime where great bodily harm is done or or lives lost..Hell why have a Criminal Justice System...just think how much money would be saved if Galllup was running the show..." john do was drunk and ran over my neighbors child. " Does the public think this crime should be investigatgted (YES) (NO)...the drunk goes on to kill again....end of story..

[No Elephants]

20. What Independents think rules bc no one can win an election without them. I am going to check my

state law about primary voting. If I can still vote in primaries, I will probably change my voter registration from Democratic to "unenrolled." That way, when I am polled, I will have a prayer of having my answers matter to someone.

[IndianaGreen]

21. You don't poll people to see if laws should be enforced.

Lawbreakers must be prosecuted and any charges of crimes must be investigated. Quite frankly, the people's opinion don't mean shit on this issue.