Media 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 [should] 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.

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.

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Zogby sometimes gets it wrong Rasmussen makes it wrong.. Thats why you refer to it.