The public isn't ignoring the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent scandal -- and it seems most Americans have strong views on the matter. In fact, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, a majority of those surveyed believe that a special prosecutor should be appointed to examine the government's targeting of conservative groups.
Interestingly, the penchant for such an investigation crosses partisan lines. Overall, 76 percent of American voters favor the idea of a special prosecutor; this translates to 88 percent of Republicans, 78 percent of independents and -- most stunningly -- 63 percent of Democrats.
"There is overwhelming bipartisan support for a special prosecutor to investigate the IRS," Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a news release. "Voters apparently don't like the idea of Attorney General Eric Holder investigating the matter himself, perhaps because they don't exactly think highly of him."
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the Chicago Hilton on May 29, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. Obama is helping to raise money for U.S. House Democrats heading into the 2014 midterm elections. Credit: Getty Images
And his latter statement isn't rooted in opinion or conjecture. Quinnipiac found his approval rating to be at 23 percent, with 39 percent of American voters disapproving of the attorney general's job performance.
When it comes to the numerous scandals facing the Obama administration, it seems, at least based on this particular poll, that voters are most perturbed by the IRS scandal. While 43 percent (versus 32 percent) believe that furor over the Benghazi terror attack is "just politics," 44 percent (versus 33 percent) see "legitimate concerns" with the Obama administration's handling of conservative groups through the IRS.
The scandal over journalists' phone records is also viewed as problematic by Americans, with 37 percent saying that this particular scandal raises "legitimate concerns" (24 percent disagree). Of the three, the IRS scandal is seen as the most important, however, on the whole, the vast majority of the nation believes that the economy should take precedence over investigations into these issues.
Nearly seven-in-10 Americans currently disapprove of the job that the IRS is doing. You can read more about voters' views on the Obama administration's scandals.
(H/T: Washington Post)
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