After reading John's post below on AP, I have to say that it really shocks me. I've spent the last hour or so working my way through the CBS poll. While the 35% number is interesting in and of itself, the rest of the poll had some startling (at least to me) results. Here's one that stood out:
HOW IMPORTANT TO THE NATION IS THE CIA LEAK MATTER?Go back and reread all those numbers. The CIA Leak Investigation, which the media has begrudgingly started to cover, is according to the public, already more important than Iran Contra, Whitewater, and Monica (over which the President was impeached - talk about a hijacked Senate Mr. Frist). It is just 2 points shy of being as important to the public as Watergate.
CIA Leak
Great importance - 51%
Some importance - 35%
Little/no importance - 12%
Clinton-Lewinsky (1/98)
Great importance - 41%
Some importance - 21%
Little/no importance - 37%
Whitewater (3/94)
Great importance - 20%
Some importance - 29%
Little/no importance - 45%
Iran-Contra (2/87)
Great importance - 48%
Some importance - 33%
Little/no importance - 19%
Watergate (5/73; Gallup Poll)
Great importance - 53%
Some importance - 25%
Little/no importance - 22%
The media needs to start taking these poll numbers seriously and stop listening to the spin inside the Beltway. It is their responsibility to do the investigative reporting -- REAL investigative reporting, give-a-team-of-reporters-six-months-to-write-their-first-story investigative reporting.
It's a responsibility they must take more seriously. Investigative reporting doesn't always make you friends. Karl isn't going to give you a nickname. If that's what you need in life, go work for the White House. As Katrina showed, they don't have very high qualifications for any job.
