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U.S. Divided Over Feingold’s Censure Measure
(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Adults in the United States are split on a proposal to officially reprimand their president for inappropriate behaviour, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 38 per cent of respondents believe George W. Bush should be censured for approving the National Security Agency (NSA) wiretapping program, while 45 per cent disagree.
In December, Bush defended a secret domestic electronic surveillance program that includes the wiretapping of the telephone calls and e-mails of Americans suspected of having terrorist ties. The president's remarks came in response to media reports that, since 2002, Bush has authorized the NSA to operate this program without any judicial oversight.
On Mar. 13, Democratic Wisconsin senator Russ Feingold officially introduced a resolution to censure Bush, saying, "The president has broken the law and the censure resolution (...) is intended to hold him accountable." The resolution must be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan dismissed the censure motion as something that "has more to do with 2008 politics than anything else." McClellan added, "I think it does raise the question of how do you fight and win the war on terrorism, and if Democrats want to argue that we shouldn't be listening to al-Qaeda communications, that's their right."
In 1834, Andrew Jackson became the only U.S. president to be censured for removing the nation's money from a private bank in defiance of the Senate.
Polling Data
Should U.S. president George W. Bush be censured for approving the NSA wiretapping program?
Yes | 38% |
No | 45% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted on Mar. 15 and Mar. 16, 2006. Margin of error is 3 per cent.