CBS News Monthly Poll #2, November 1998

This poll, fielded November 16-17, 1998, is part of a continuing series of monthly surveys that solicit public opinion on the presidency and on a range of other political and social issues. Respondents were asked to give their opinions of President Bill Clinton and his handling of the situation with Iraq, as well as their views on the United States Congress, Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Clinton, Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Their views were sought on the weekend decision by the United States to delay the launch of air strikes against Iraq after Saddam Hussein promised unconditional access to United Nations weapons inspections teams. Respondents were asked whether they believed Hussein's promise, whether air strikes would be an appropriate immediate reaction if Iraq failed to keep that promise, whether the goal of insuring that Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction was worth the possible loss of American lives, and whether air strikes, if launched, should continue until Hussein complied or was removed from office. A series of questions addressed the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment inquiry. Topics covered the scope of the inquiry, whether members of opposing political parties would work together, and who was to blame if they did not. A series of questions addressed the November 3, 1998, congressional elections, including whether respondents voted, the political party make-up of the incoming Congress, and whether the election could be described as a national referendum on the Clinton presidency. Respondents were asked whether they listened to any part of the 20 hours of audio tapes of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky and Pentagon employee Linda Tripp's telephone conversations, released November 17, 1998. A final topic addressed the November 22, 1963, assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Respondents were asked whether they believed that Lee Harvey Oswald was solely responsible, whether an official cover-up occurred, and if the public will ever know the whole story. Background information on respondents includes age, sex, race, education, religion, political party, political orientation, voter participation history, marital status, age of children in household, family income, and computer access.