But their public approval rating has plummeted.

This only proves that real people (i.e. Republicans) agree torture is a needed tool in the War on IslamoliberObamafascism.

The rest of these people polled are just "elites".

I don't know if any one caught former NSA analyst Russell Tice on Keith Olbermann last night taking about the Bush administration's illegal wiretapping program. It was very interesting. I think there's going to be a second part to that interview tonight.

While the American public may want investigations of lawbreaking with regard to torture, it's clear that Senate Republicans don't. Here is a McClatchy article today on the delay in Holder's confirmation:

Key Republicans delayed a vote on Wednesday on the confirmation of attorney general nominee Eric Holder in part over concerns that he views Bush administration interrogation practices as torture.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he wanted to know more after Holder sidestepped questions about whether he intends to prosecute officials who condoned or carried out the interrogations.

Link: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/60462.html

I'm hoping there is much nervousness on the part of those who were responsible for the torture policy. The poll that is the subject of this post should make them even more nervous. Holder can send them over the top into full-fledged panic if he stands firm with the sentiments he expressed in his confirmation hearing.

I'm glad to see that Glenn did a column on this poll. I saw it yesterday and posted a link to it on Glenn's blog. There is a place on WaPo where you can post a comment about the poll (link in my sig). I hope everyone will post a comment.

Here's what I posted yesterday:

"Put together, all Americans break 50 percent in favor of investigations, 47 percent opposed".

That's pretty impressive considering most of our beltway columnists have been arguing against prosecutions and our TV media personalities have mostly ignored the issue or have argued against them.

I'd say there is a large disconnect between our citizens and most of our media personalities.

I think everyone involved should be prosecuted, but I worry that failed prosecutions might lead to supposed vindication. That's the one and only problem I see with the plan. If those involved come away being able to claim innocence, the effect would literally be worse than doing nothing.

I think the likelihood of conviction of lower level people is relatively high, but of top level people like Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld, pretty low, so what I see happening is that the little guys take the fall and the upper-ups say they don't recall what happened, or that they were vindicated after they obstruct justice.

Power isn't an easy equation, it's complex. I lean heavily toward the side of prosecute, but I wonder if that is just my hunger for prosecution, and what damage could be done if we fail.

investigate (including complicit Dems), if investigation reveals crimes, prosecute accordingly, convict if necessary, and sentence appropriately.

Either we are or we aren't a nation of laws. And either we are or we aren't a nation that legalizes and engages in torture. Only people that can't see that are the ass covering deluded monarchist inside the beltway watercarriers of Bush et al.

Admitting that "children were tortured for years" in our collective names makes me want to vomit every time I think about it. We as a nation need to come clean before the world and hold those responsible accountable in a meaningful way. Otherwise we'll never be the shining city on the hill just the duplicitous hypocritical festering pilonidal cyst on the ass crack of North America.

Glenn, are you sure this was a poll of citizens of the United States of America?

I literally find it difficult to believe. But then again, the vast majority of the people I interact w/ are Texans, so my views on what others "think" is undoubtedly colored by that.

... I'm going to contact my (ALL NEW! DEMOCRATIC!!) congresspersons to let them know how I feel about torture and Guantanamo.

Many of you might wish to do likewise? I suspect Mr. Greenwald would have wanted it that way.

I don't recall seeing any outright opponents of investigations (or reluctant administration officials, pundits, etc.) make this argument.

Don't you always wish you could ask follow up questions to the stupid questions pollsters use?

I really have to wonder just how much this poll understates the case. Given the sharp political difference, it is almost certain that many "pro torture" respondents aren't necessarily in favor of the actual policy, what they are in favor of is the political class that happened to implement that policy.

Also, nobody wants to see a loyal officer cashiered for "following orders."

Your article on the REQUIREMENT to prosecute the Bush administration officials for torture was one of the best pieces I've ever seen on Salon, and this one was the perfect follow-up. We need to hold the feet of the Obama administration to the fire on this one. Failing to prosecute torture is failure to uphold the rule of law. It's just that simple. We can't regain our global standing without holding the culprits publicly accountable.

This is off topic but it's been bugging me since last night when Tice appeared on Olbermann's show talking about the NSA spying.

In Wiki it says that Tice was a source for the NYT article about illegal wiretaping.

"Media reports on January 10, 2006, indicated Tice was a source of the Times leak, which revealed that, under the direction of the White House and without requisite court orders, the NSA has been intercepting international communications to and from points within the US."

If Tice was a source for the NYT story did he also tell them at that time that journalists were being targeted? If he did why didn't they report it in their original story? If Tice didn't tell them back then why did he choose to tell Olbermann now and not go through the NYT again? Did Tice go to the NYT before he spoke with Olbermann? If not, why not? If he did why didn't they report it? Why did the NYT lose Tice as a source?

Does anyone have any info on this?