January 25, 1999
Web posted at: 8:55 a.m. EST (1355 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, January 25) -- On the eve of a likely vote on a motion to dismiss, two-thirds of Americans want the U.S. Senate to end the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton immediately, according to results of a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Sunday.

Only 30 percent of those responding to the poll said the Senate should continue with the impeachment proceedings.

If the trial does proceed, the poll showed, an identical two-thirds do not believe the senators should hear testimony from any witnesses.

The Senate trial resumes early Monday afternoon, with senators predicting that a motion by Sen. Robert Byrd, (D-West Virginia) to dismiss the articles of impeachment will fail.

If the motion fails, the Senate will then consider and vote on a request to subpoena witnesses for closed-door depositions under oath.

Twenty-eight percent favored calling witnesses if the senators do not vote to dismiss the trial altogether.

Those who responded to the poll were evenly split on whether or not the Senate should open its debate on the articles of impeachment to the public.

The CNN/TIME Poll is based on interviews with 1,031 adult Americans conducted January 22-24, and has a margin of sampling error of +/- 3 percentage points,

Here are the poll's questions and results:

Do you think the Senate should vote to end the trial immediately?

• Yes 67 percent
• No 30 percent

If the Senate does not vote end the trial immediately, should the Senate hear testimony from witnesses?

• Yes 28 percent
• No 67 percent

When the Senate begins to debate the impeachment issues, do you think it should open the debate to the public and to coverage by the news media?

• Yes 49 percent
• No 49 percent

Monday, January 25, 1999

• Tight-lipped senators emerge from closed-door session
• Transcript: Motion to dismiss introduced in Senate impeachment trial
• Text of Republican senators' questions to Clinton
• Harkin, Wellstone vow to keep pushing for open deliberations
• Poll: Americans do not want Senate to convict Clinton
• Second female attorney to argue for Clinton before Senate
• Analysis: Senate should deliberate in public
• Poll: Most say stop impeachment trial now
• Bush says Clinton apparently disrespected office
• Paula Jones shows up at Clinton speech in Arkansas
• Al Franken has disturbing visions of his 'presidency'
• Supreme Court: Sampling can't be used for census
• Clinton plan seeks further drop in welfare rolls
• Bradley kicks off campaign for the White House
• Kentucky governor files for re-election
• Who voted how on closing deliberations
• Anti-abortion leader questions wisdom of 'Spring of Life' reunion
• For one senator, Johnson impeachment vote began with a slave

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