Man, this is some insanely bad polling:
Should the National Security Agency be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States?
Yes64%
No23%
And I mean bad in both senses of the word. First, as John notes, these are bad numbers. I sure as hell think the NSA should listen in on suspected terrorists! Anyone going to make the contrarian case against it?
Good. So what's with the 24% against? You're telling me more folks support universal health care than the ability to spy on terrorists? No wonder we need to spy on ourselves -- we're a bunch of al-Qaeda sympathizers!
But beyond the weird numbers, this question is just bizarre (or, to use the right word, biased). It's like gauging support for Bush's tax cuts by asking "Should the President lower your tax burden while stimulating the economy, encouraging growth, and reducing the deficit?" The question is so utopian as to be nonsensical.
There is a question that needs to be asked, though, and it's answer would be illuminating. And despite what the rightwing spinmeisters are trying to argue, it's the only question in this case:
"Should the National Security Agency be allowed to secretly spy on Americans without any oversight?"
Or, alternately:
"Do you believe the NSA should be able to listen in on your phone calls and read your e-mails without oversight, probable cause, or a warrant?"
Those, and their permutations, are the only questions that deserve polling. There's no doubt the NSA should -- nay, must! -- tap the phones of suspected terrorists. The only issue is whether they are an agency unbound, freed from all judicial oversight and/or congressional constraint. Administration apparatchiks will try to twist it into a referendum on the president's authority to tap phones in the War on Terror. It's not. It's a referendum on whether any President should ever be trusted with the tools and authority of a totalitarian dictator.
Ronald Reagan used to love the phrase "trust, but verify." These days, I'm warming to it as well. Of course, Reagan was speaking of the Soviet Union, where dictators roamed, spied, and tortured unchecked. What a shame that it's become so applicable here at home.
Update: Minipundit has some ideas for future Rasmussen polls.
