This week, Bush's approval ratings plunged towards record lows in every major poll.
Also this week, local activists organized over 60 enthusiastic impeachment events and began collecting 1 million signatures for impeachment. Outgoing Rep. Cynthia McKinney introduced Articles of Impeachment in Congress, while Liz Holtzman and David Swanson debated impeachment with Hannity and Colmes.
So you might think pollsters would connect the dots and ask Americans whether they support Bush's impeachment.
But you would be wrong.
A majority of Americans have supported impeachment since the Ipsos poll of 10/11/05. Two weeks before the November election, Newsweek again found a 51%-44% majority for impeachment.
So why aren't pollsters including an impeachment question in every poll they take?
A year ago, pollsters claimed "no one" in Congress or the punditocracy was talking about impeachment. Since then, there has been lots of talk about impeachment both in Washington and in the media, and at least 6 excellent books. There was also a heated debate during the campaign when Republicans tried to use the impeachment issue as a reason for voters to reject Democrats. Despite the negative attacks, Democrats swept both chambers of Congress!
So what excuse do pollsters have now?
The obvious excuse is that Nancy Pelosi says impeachment is "off the table." But since when does one politician decide what can or cannot be discussed?
George Bush says pulling our troops out of Iraq is "off the table." He has delivered this message dozens of times since Rep. John Murtha first proposed a timetable for strategic redeployment. He repeated it after the Iraq Study Group echoed Murtha's proposal. Nevertheless, the question of removing troops from Iraq is now included in every poll on Iraq.
So if Bush can't veto the question of leaving Iraq, why can Pelosi veto the question of impeaching Bush?
Here is a list of pollsters, poll reporters and editors. Let's ask them (politely of course) why they refuse to poll on impeachment!
daniel.m.merkle@abc.com, newspolls@abc.com, ttompson@ap.org, wlester@ap.org, info@americanresearchgroup.com, evening@cbsnews.com, KAF@cbsnews.com, jeff.greenfield@cnn.com, wolf@cnn.com, bill.schneider@turner.com, info@edisonresearch.com, askfox@fox.com, comments@foxnews.com, rthomas@harrisinteractive.com, jgorman@opiniondynamics.com, david_wilson@gallup.com, darby_miller_steiger@gallup.com, david_moore@gallup.com, media_inquiries@gallup.com, rthomas@harrisinteractive.com, Info@harrisinteractive.com, timespoll@latimes.com, maristpoll@marist.edu, Mark.Murray@nbc.com, sheldon.gawiser@nbc.com, nightly@nbc.com, nytnews@nytimes.com, rich@nytimes.com, topurd@nytimes.com, adamnag@nytimes.com, letters@newsweek.com, Marcus.Mabry@newsweek.com, livingpolitics@aol.com, pcraighill@pewresearch.org, skeeter@pewresearch.org, info@people-press.org, pollinginstitute@quinnipiac.edu, Info@rasmussenreports.com, editor@surveyusa.com, spage@usatoday.com, rbenedetto@usatoday.com, editor@usatoday.com, wsjcontact@dowjones.com, morinr@washpost.com, balzd@washpost.com, ombudsman@washpost.com, abramowitz@washpost.com, newseditors@wsj.com, john.harwood@wsj.com
You can also use these forms:
DemocracyCorps: http://democracycorps.com/...
Gallup: http://www.gallup.com/...
Here is a form letter you can personalize:
There has been serious discussion of impeachment ever since the Downing Street Memos revealed Bush fixed the "intelligence and facts around the policy" of invading Iraq. Simply put, Bush lied to start an illegal and disastrous war - a war Americans overwhelmingly oppose.
On October 11, 2005, an Ipsos poll found a 50%-44% majority for considering impeachment.
http://www.democrats.com/...
One year later, a Newsweek poll found a 51%-44% majority for considering impeachment.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
So why don't you include impeachment questions in your poll?
In 1998, nearly every poll asked about impeachment - even though only 26% of Americans supported it!
http://democrats.com/...
Why are you treating George Bush differently from Bill Clinton?
3. These MSM reporters cover political polls. Ask them why they have not covered the AfterDowningStreet impeachment polls.
wlester@ap.org, Bill.Schneider@cnn.com, sthomma@krwashington.com, John.Whitesides@reuters.com
4. These MSM reporters have covered impeachment polls and deserve a thank-you note.
froomkin@washingtonpost.com
Please post any non-automated responses you get below!