Americans say president shouldn't lift rights (to fight terrorism) -poll

Americans say president shouldn't lift rights -poll


CHICAGO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Most Americans do not believe a president should be allowed to suspend constitutional guarantees to fight terrorism, according to a poll released on Friday.

The poll, taken for the American Bar Association in the wake of the controversy generated by U.S. President George W. Bush's domestic spying program, found the public divided over whether government eavesdropping on personal communications could ever be justified.

The Harris Interactive telephone survey of 1,045 adults taken Feb. 3-6 found that 77 percent have reservations about the fundamental issues raised by the eavesdropping controversy, the ABA said in releasing the survey.

Of that group, 52 percent agreed that a president should never be able to "suspend the constitutional freedoms of people like you." Another 25 percent said constitutional freedoms should never be suspended unless authorized by a court or the U.S. Congress.

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