www.heritage.org | Heritage research | Policy Blog | PolicyWire Archive March 13, 2006
A Lesson in Data and Analysis for the New York Times
Nuclear Diplomacy: Keep the Pressure on Iran
Lobbyists, Earmarks, and Congressional Reform



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Over 70 percent of troops say it's time to withdraw from Iraq, according to a recent Zogby poll extensively covered in the mainstream media.

Economist and Air Force veteran Tim Kane takes a closer look at the poll and finds major problems. Zogby's poll, he writes, was "like a multiple-choice test with no right answers." For example, troops could choose that they believed the U.S. should stay in Iraq "indefinitely" or "withdraw" at several different dates. What about troops who think the U.S. should stay for one year, five years, or however long? Sorry, that's not one of the choices.

According to Kane, the poll included "questions aplenty on napalm, interrogation, and doubling the number of bombing missions." How many questions did Zogby ask about the state of the U.S. mission, morale, progress in tracking down terrorists, and prospects for democracy and economic growth? None.

So is the Zogby poll "(a) biased, (b) dishonest, or (c) all of the above?" Don't like those choices? Sorry, that's all they gave us.


Read Poll Too Biased To Show Troops' Views by Tim Kane, Ph.D.

After years of foot-dragging, the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board is slated to vote on whether to refer Iran's nuclear activities to the UN Security Council. Iran, as usual, is trying to delay a diplomatic confrontation by dividing key nations with empty promises and further negotiation. Its chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has even resorted to blackmail: "If we are referred to the Security Council, problems might occur for others as well as us," he said on March 5. "We would not like to use our oil as a weapon. We would not like to make other countries suffer."


For more on the authors:

Because of the regrettable actions of a few, Congress is now considering significant reforms that would curb the influence of lobbyists and discourage the use of wasteful earmarks. Among the Members of Congress with more notable lapses in fiscal responsibility that triggered the current quest for reform were Representative Don Young (R–AK), who showed a penchant for pork-barrel excess in the highway bill, and former Representative Randy Cunningham (R–CA), who has been convicted for accepting bribes in return for earmarks. Taken together, their actions helped to precipitate a national backlash against the growing influence of lobbyists in the federal budget.


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U.S. Should Warn Russia Over Its "Soviet" Middle East Policy
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Free Trade with the UAE Supports America's National Security Interests by Daniella Markheim & Anthony Kim
From Constitutional Interpretation to Judicial Activism: The Transformation of Judicial Review in America
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Port Security and Foreign Investment by James Carafano
A Defense Budget Strategy for Winning the Long War
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A Bumpy Road for the U.S.–ROK Free Trade Agreement
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