Poll: Most Americans Support NSA's Efforts (POLL: 66% NOT BOTHERED IF NSA COLLECTS PHONE RECORDS )

Washington Post ^ | Friday, May 12, 2006 | By Richard Morin

[ziggy_dlo]

A majority of Americans initially support a controversial National Security Agency program to collect information on telephone calls made in the United States in an effort to identify and investigate potential terrorist threats, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. The new survey found that 63 percent of Americans said they found the NSA program to be an acceptable way to investigate terrorism, including 44 percent who strongly endorsed the effort. Another 35 percent said the program was unacceptable, which included 24 percent who strongly objected to it. A slightly larger majority--66 percent--said they would not be bothered if NSA collected records of personal calls they had made, the poll found. Underlying those views is the belief that the need to investigate terrorism outweighs privacy concerns. According to the poll, 65 percent of those interviewed said it was more important to investigate potential terrorist threats "even if it intrudes on privacy." Three in 10--31 percent--said it was more important for the federal government not to intrude on personal privacy, even if that limits its ability to investigate possible terrorist threats. Half--51 percent--approved of the way President Bush was handling privacy matters. Since then, the agency began collecting call records on tens of millions of personal and business telephone calls made in the United States. Word of the program sparked immediate criticism on Capitol Hill, where Democrats and Republicans criticized the effort as a threat to privacy and called for congressional inquiries to learn more about the operation. In the survey, big majorities of Republicans and political independents said they found the program to be acceptable while Democrats were split. President Bush made an unscheduled appearance yesterday before White House reporters to defend his administration's efforts to investigate terrorism and criticize public disclosure of secret intelligence operations.

[frogjerk]

Frankly, I'm not particularly worried about domestic spying under a Republican administration, but I am seriously concerned about what would happen under a Democrat administration. This is my most gut-wrenching concern. The possibilities for abuse are legion--and the Democrats would definitely abuse it. The mendacity and hypocrisy of the Left--an example of which has just been given--not to mention other dangers of an empowered Left--are enough to give any honest citizen cause for apprehension.

But remember, laws and procedures have never stopped the DIMs before...

[Realism]

I'd say that it's worked pretty well so far.

Yeah, but sometimes we need to hold the line or at the very least create as much friction as possible so things don't get carried away. Terrorism has been around forever and it's not going to just go away, so anything we give up it's likely permanent. The government just wants to do what ever it takes to get the job done, problem is we and future generations have to live with it, so choose carefully. I don't know if a big intrusive government which gives the illusion of safety is the right way.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

YES /sarcasm... Their are threads here where it is that bad!!

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Please explain to me how it screws with the constitution/.....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Damn fine explamation.....

[Savage Beast]

"laws and procedures have never stopped the DIMs before..."

There's certainly no question about that, but having laws that could so easily be abused would make it all the easier for them. That's what's frightening.