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Gallup poll out today finds that over 6 in 10 Americans are "critical" of Bush's role in the Plame controversy. Of those polled, 21% believe he did something illegal, 42% think he acted unethically, while 28% say he did nothing wrong.
Over half of respondents are paying attention to the scandal, with 25% following the issue "very closely" and 39% following it "somewhat closely." According to the poll, the closer someone follows the scandal, the more likely they are to believe the President acted illegally, not just unethically.
The party split is not surprising; though the fact that 70% of independents think Bush did something wrong when he selectively leaked intelligence for political gain doesn't bode well for the RNC's "W-Brand" election strategy:
Sixty-one percent of Republicans say Bush did nothing wrong, while only 18% of independents and 8% of Democrats agree. On the other hand, 30% of Republicans say Bush did something unethical or illegal, compared with 70% of independents and 85% of Democrats.
The survey began the day after the story broke, and concluded April 9th.