According to this poll, forty-five percent of the American people want Bush to face impeachment proceedings. I don’t buy it.
Nearly half of the US public wants President George W. Bush to face impeachment, and even more favor that fate for Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a poll out Friday.
The survey by the American Research Group found that 45 percent support the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against Bush, with 46 percent opposed, and a 54-40 split in favor when it comes to Cheney.
The study by the private New Hampshire-based ARG canvassed 1,100 Americans by telephone July 3-5 and had an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points. The findings are available on ARG’s Internet site.
The White House declined to comment on the poll, the latest bad news for a president who has seen his public opinion standings dragged to record lows by the unpopular war in Iraq.
The US Constitution says presidents and vice presidents can be impeached — that is, formally charged by the House — for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” by a simple majority vote.
Conviction by the Senate, which requires a two-thirds majority, means removal from office.
AJ Strata isn’t buying what this polling company is selling, either:
The ARG poll out that claims nearly half the country wants to impeach Bush and over half wants to impeach Cheney is as bogus as they come. It must be a push poll with the some weasely wording, after a list of potential ‘crimes’, along the lines of ‘given these claims would you consider impeachment’ or something. But look at the date of the survey – July 3-5. A telephone survey during America’s birthday celebration? Yeah, the only people home are pissed off liberal or far right nut cases. ARG just did us all a favor and proved once and for all polls are all meaningless. All of them. The wording and the interpretations of results are so wide open, and people spin them beyond comprehension, that the results are meaningless.
This poll favors Democrats heavily over Republicans, as Ian Schwarts notes. Of those polled, 38% were Democrats, 33% were Independents, and, bringing in the rear, Republicans were at a mere 29%. Gee, what a surprise that the poll has the results that it does.
