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 TIME on politics Congressional Quarterly CNN/AllPolitics CNN/AllPolitics - Storypage, with TIME and Congressional Quarterly

Poll: Most Americans think Clinton committed perjury

But the public remains steadfastly opposed to impeachment

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, December 10) -- Most Americans agree with Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee that President Bill Clinton committed perjury and abused his office, but they still do not want him impeached, according to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll.

The latest survey, conducted between 5 and 9 p.m. ET Thursday as the Judiciary Committee began a historic impeachment debate, found that 71 percent think Clinton lied under oath to Independent Counsel Ken Starr's grand jury and 64 percent think he lied under oath in the Paula Jones case.

But in both instances, a majority of the public disagrees that what Clinton did was serious enough to justify his impeachment and a trial in the Senate, the new survey found.

Clinton faces the threat of impeachment because of his relationship with ex-White House intern Monica Lewinsky, but he has denied he committed perjury or obstruction of justice in trying to conceal their relationship.

The new poll numbers are based on interviews with 550 adult Americans, and the survey has a margin of sampling error of +/- 5 percentage points. There has been no statistically significant change in recent days in Americans' opposition to impeachment.

Here are the questions and results:

Question 1: How closely have you been following the congressional impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton -- very closely, somewhat closely, not too closely, or not at all?

Dec. 10 Dec. 9 Dec. 8
Very closely
Somewhat closely
Not too closely
Not at all
20%
36%
31%
12%
16%
38%
29%
17%
19%
36%
28%
17%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Question 2: As you may know, the House Judiciary Committee is holding hearings on whether to recommend impeachment of Bill Clinton to the full House of Representatives. In your view, should the House Judiciary Committee vote for or against impeachment?

Should committee vote to impeach Clinton?
Dec. 10 Dec. 9 Dec. 8
Yes
No
34%
63%
34%
61%
34%
59%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Question 3: Now I am going to read you four charges that have been made against Bill Clinton related to the current impeachment hearings. Regardless of whether you think Clinton should be impeached on any of the charges, please indicate if you think the charge against Clinton is or is not true:

(A) The charge that Clinton committed perjury by providing false and misleading testimony to Ken Starr's grand jury

(B) The charge that Clinton committed perjury by providing false and misleading testimony as part of the Paula Jones lawsuit

(C) The charge that Clinton obstructed justice by trying to influence the testimony of Monica Lewinsky, his secretary and others in the Paula Jones lawsuit

(D) The charge that Clinton misused and abused his office and impaired the administration of justice by making false and misleading statements to the public, his aides and Congress

Did Clinton commit perjury before Starr grand jury?
Yes
No
71%
23%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Did Clinton commit perjury in Paula Jones lawsuit?
Yes
No
64%
27%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Did Clinton obstruct justice?
Yes
No
50%
43%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Did Clinton Abuse His Office?
Yes
No
63%
35%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Did Clinton...
Yes No
Grand jury perjury
Perjury in Jones case
Obstruct justice
Abuse power
71%
64%
50%
63%
23%
27%
43%
35%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Question 4: Now for each of those charges, I would like you to tell me whether you think that the offense is serious enough -- if you were convinced that Clinton had actually behaved that way -- to justify impeachment by the House and a trial by the Senate, or if you think the offense is not serious enough to justify impeachment:

(A) The charge that Clinton committed perjury by providing false and misleading testimony to Ken Starr's grand jury

(B) The charge that Clinton committed perjury by providing false and misleading testimony as part of the Paula Jones lawsuit

(C) The charge that Clinton obstructed justice by trying to influence the testimony of Monica Lewinsky, his secretary and others in the Paula Jones lawsuit

(D) The charge that Clinton misused and abused his office and impaired the administration of justice by making false and misleading statements to the public, his aides and Congress

Is perjury before grand jury an impeachable offense?
Yes
No
40%
57%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Is perjury in Jones lawsuit an impeachable offense?
Yes
No
37%
60%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Is obstruction of justice an impeachable offense?
Yes
No
40%
57%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Is abuse of power an impeachable offense?
Yes
No
47%
51%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Impeachable offense?
Yes No
Grand jury perjury
Perjury in Jones case
Obstruct justice
Abuse power
40%
37%
40%
47%
57%
60%
57%
51%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Question 5: Thinking again about the current impeachment hearings in Congress, how much of these hearings have you personally seen on television since they started on Monday? Have you seen some of the hearings on television as they were broadcast live, mostly seen excerpts from the hearings rebroadcast later on the television news shows, or not seen any coverage of the hearings on television?

Seen hearings on TV?
Broadcast live
Taped excerpts
Not seen on TV
30%
47%
23%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts

Question 6: And how much have you read about the impeachment hearings in the newspaper since they started on Monday? Have you read most of the stories you have seen on the hearings, read a few stories reporting on the hearings, just read some of the newspaper headlines related to the hearings, or not read anything in the newspapers about the hearings?

Read about hearings in newspaper?
Most stories
Few stories
Only headlines
Not read anything
16%
24%
26%34%
Sampling error: +/-5% pts


Investigating the President

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Thursday, December 10, 1998

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