Matthews: Public Believes Cheney Knew

November 9th, 2005 3:52 PM

On Monday's Hardball, Chris Matthews asked former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle if he "share(d) the public view that Dick Cheney knew what his guy was up to, Scooter Libby?"

This was not the first time Matthews referenced a recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll that indicated more than half the respondents thought Vice President Dick Cheney was aware of Lewis Libby's actions in leaking the name of a CIA employee.

What Matthews has failed to mention, however, is the level of awareness of the participants in the poll. When asked: "How well do you, personally, understand this case: very well, somewhat well, not too well or not at all," only 22 percent declared they understood the case "very well." More than three out of ten stated they understood the case either not too well or not at all.

And more poll results we won't be hearing from Matthews is one released by CBS News last week. Despite the constant harping on this "scandal" by Matthews and the other usual suspects, more than half the respondents in the CBS poll said the matter is "mostly politics."