http://mediamatters.org/items/200601030004Media conservatives cited faulty poll to claim popular support for domestic spying program
Summary: Conservative media figures have defended the Bush administration's warrantless domestic surveillance program by citing a Rasmussen poll saying 64 percent of Americans believe "the National Security Agency be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States." But the key issue, which the poll misrepresents, is not whether surveillance of terrorism suspects should take place at all -- something about which there is little controversy -- but whether President Bush violated the law by approving warrantless searches of domestic phone and email communications.
Conservative media figures have defended President Bush's authorization of warrantless domestic surveillance by pointing to a recently released Rasmussen poll showing that 64 percent of Americans believe "the National Security Agency be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States." However, the question they are referring to in the Rasmussen poll misrepresents the issue for which President Bush has been criticized. The poll simply asked whether the National Security Agency (NSA) should be allowed to intercept phone conversations between "terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States." Bush has been sharply criticized on both sides of the aisle for his apparent failure to comply with the requirements of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which calls for the administration to obtain search warrants before or after initiating domestic surveillance in most situations. The key issue, in other words, is not whether surveillance of terrorism suspects should take place at all -- something about which there is presumably little controversy -- but whether Bush violated the law by approving warrantless searches of domestic phone and email communications.
The survey question is flawed in other respects, as well. It does not mention that Bush apparently authorized this surveillance without the meaningful oversight of any court or Congress. Moreover, while the question suggests that Bush has authorized surveillance only between "terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States," in fact, the program has reportedly captured conversations in which all parties were located in the United States.
MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, CNBC host Lawrence Kudlow, and conservative radio host Michael Reagan referenced the Rasmussen poll in defending Bush's authorization of the NSA eavesdropping program. The poll, conducted December 26-27, asked respondents: "Should the National Security Agency be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States?" Sixty-four percent of respondents answered "Yes." But the poll omitted a key fact in the debate that has erupted following The New York Times' disclosure of the domestic surveillance program.
The articles goes on to say that the crucial missing part in the poll's question was that the wiretapping was done without a warrant or any court supervision at all. It also provides the specific quotes of the conservatives who made this error and contact information of the outlets that aired the comments, if you would like to call or write them to complain.
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