(ABC)Phone-Records Surveillance Is Broadly Acceptable to Public

[rodeodance]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=1953464

Phone-Records Surveillance Is Broadly Acceptable to Public

By GARY LANGER and DALIA SUSSMAN

May 12, 2006 — Americans by nearly a 2-1 ratio call the surveillance of telephone records an acceptable way for the federal government to investigate possible terrorist threats, expressing broad unconcern even if their own calling patterns are scrutinized.

Lending support to the administration's defense of its anti-terrorism intelligence efforts, 63 percent in this ABC News/Washington Post poll say the secret program, disclosed Thursday by USA Today, is justified, while far fewer, 35 percent, call it unjustified.

Sampling, data collection and tabulation for this poll were done by TNS.

Indeed, 51 percent approve of the way President Bush is handling the protection of privacy rights, while 47 percent disapprove — hardly a robust rating, but one that's far better than his overall job approval, in the low 30s in recent polls.

NSA Phone Records Program
Yes No
Is collecting phone
records acceptable? 63% 35%
Would it bother you if there
was a record of your phone calls? 34 66

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