CBS News | Poll: Country Divided Over Iraq | August 3, 2005�20:59:19

Americans are skeptical about the Bush administration's behavior and public statements about the 2003 leak of the name of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame to reporters. Only 12 percent think the Bush administration is telling the entire truth about the matter; more than half –- 55 percent -- think the administration is mostly telling the truth but hiding something, and another 22 percent think it is lying.



REGARDING LEAK, BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS



Telling entire truth - All

12%

Hiding something - All

55%

Mostly lying - All

22%



Many Republicans doubt the administration is telling all it knows to the public. Fifty-seven percent of Republicans think the administration is hiding something or lying -- although 28 percent think it is telling the entire truth. Democrats are much more skeptical.



In previous polls, a majority of the public also felt the Bush administration was withholding information about the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal and the Enron collapse.



As for responsibility for the leak, just over half of Americans think it was someone in the Bush administration. Twenty-one percent think it was not someone in the administration. However, about a quarter don't know.



DID SOMEONE IN BUSH ADMINISTRATION LEAK NAME?

Yes – All

52%

Yes – Reps.

29%

Yes – Dems

64%





No – All

21%

No – Reps.

37%

No – Dems

13%





Don't know – All

27%

Don't know – Reps.

34%

Don't know – Dems

23%



Once again, views on this are highly partisan. Twenty-nine percent of Republicans think the Bush administration was responsible for the leak, compared to 64 percent of Democrats.



Twenty-nine percent of Americans think the leak was part of a wider effort by the Bush administration to discredit its critics. Eighteen percent think the leak was an isolated incident or mistake.



On this question as well, Democrats are more apt to view the administration's activities in a negative light.



Independents look similar to Democrats, with one-third of them saying the leak was part of a wider effort, but one-fourth also don't know if the administration leaked the name or not.



Over half of Americans say they have heard or read at least some about this issue. Those who have heard or read a lot about the matter are more apt to think the administration was involved, and to view the administration's actions as part of a larger effort. Democrats (19 percent) are about as likely as Republicans (17 percent) to have heard or read a lot about the issue. Men are more apt than women to have heard a lot, as are those over age 45 and those with more education.



HEARD OR READ ABOUT POSSIBLE PLAME LEAK



A lot

8%

Unfavorable

16%

Undecided/haven't heard

75%



Rove has said that he spoke with reporters about Valerie Plame but that he did not refer to her by name. The public is not sure whether Rove's actions broke any laws. Nearly four in 10 Americans believe Rove did something either unethical or illegal in the Plame case –- with most of those saying his actions were unethical, not illegal. Twenty-seven percent think he did nothing wrong, while 34 percent aren't sure.



KARL ROVE'S ACTIONS IN PLAME CASE WERE:



Unethical

20%

Illegal

7%

Both (vol.)

11%

Did nothing wrong

27%

Don't know

34%





Again, there are partisan differences; 42 percent of Republicans think Rove did nothing wrong, compared to just 16 percent of Democrats.