[lbo-talk] 29% of Republicans favor Bush impeachment

[Doug Henwood]

<http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=12528>

Zogby poll: Majority supports impeaching Bush for wiretapping

WASHINGTON, D.C. - By a margin of 52 to 43 percent, citizens want 
Congress to impeach President Bush if he wiretapped American citizens 
without a judge's approval, according to a new poll commissioned by 
AfterDowningStreet.org, a grassroots coalition that supports a 
Congressional investigation of Pres. Bush's decision to invade Iraq 
in 2003.

The poll was conducted by Zogby International.

The poll found that 52 percent of respondents agreed with the 
statement: "If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without 
the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress 
should consider holding him accountable through impeachment."

Of those contacted, 43 percent disagreed, and 6 percent said they 
didn't know or declined to answer. The poll has a margin of error of 
2.9 percent.

"The American people are not buying Bush's outrageous claim that he 
has the power to wiretap American citizens without a warrant. 
Americans believe terrorism can be fought without turning our own 
government into Big Brother," said AfterDowningStreet.org co-founder 
Bob Fertik in a statement.

Responses to the Zogby poll varied by political party affiliation: 76 
percent of Democrats favored impeachment, compared to 50 percent of 
independents and 29 percent of Republicans.

Responses also varied by age, sex, race, and religion. 70 percent of 
those 18-29 favored impeachment, 51 percent of those 31-49, 50 
percent of those 50-64, and 42 percent of those older than 65. Among 
women, 56 percent favored impeachment, compared to 49 percent of men. 
Among African Americans, 90 percent favored impeachment, compared to 
67 percent of Hispanics, and 46 percent of whites.

The new Zogby poll shows a major shift in support for Bush's 
impeachment since June 2005. In a Zogby poll conducted June 27-29, 
2005 of 905 likely voters, 42 percent agreed and 50 percent disagreed 
with the identical statement asked about in this recent polling.

(1/16/2006)

      - Vermont Guardian