ABC News/Washington Post Poll #1, March 2006

This poll, conducted March 2-5, 2006, is part of a
continuing series of monthly polls that solicit public opinion on the
presidency and on a range of other political and social issues.
Respondents were asked their opinions of President George W. Bush and
his handling of the presidency as well as his handling of issues such
as the situation in Iraq and health care. Those polled also gave their
opinions of the condition of the national economy, the United States
Congress, Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator
John McCain, and the Democratic and Republican parties. A series of
questions asked whether the war in Iraq was worth fighting, whether
United States military forces should be increased, decreased, or
maintained, whether progress was being made to restore civil order in
Iraq and establish a democratic government, and whether the Bush
Administration and the Democrats in Congress had a clear plan for
handling the situation in Iraq. Views were also sought on the use of
wiretapping and surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) and the National Security Agency in conducting the war on
terrorism, whether the government was doing enough to protect the
rights of American citizens, and whether the country was safer from
terrorism now, as compared to before September 11, 2001. Additional
topics addressed the bird flu virus, the Terri Schiavo case, the
recent controversy surrounding a merger deal that would give
management of six United States ports to a company owned by the United
Arab Emirates, the religion of Islam, and whether respondents and any
of their friends and relatives were prejudiced against Muslims and
Arabs. Demographic variables included sex, age, race, household
income, education level, religious affiliation, political party
affiliation, political philosophy, and type of residential area (e.g.,
urban or rural).