Poll Reveals American Opinions on Current Events
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And now back to the Middle East crisis. Here's what we know. The U.N. Security Council is set to meet in less than 30 minutes to discuss a draft resolution aimed at ending the violence. The Associated Press reports that an Israeli cabinet minister has endorsed the plan, worked out by the United States and France. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Crawford, Texas to discuss the peace plan with President Bush. White House spokesman Tony Snow says that the president is happy about the agreement. Meantime, there was more ground fighting along the Israeli- Palestinian border -- or the Israeli-Lebanese border, that is. Military officials say Hezbollah mortar shelling killed one Israeli soldier. Some new poll numbers are out. How is the Middle East crisis affecting President Bush's popularity? CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider has that and other results in a report first seen on "ANDERSON COOPER 360."</s>WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SR. POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): At times of international tension, the American public usually rallies behind the president. Is that happening now? The president's latest job approval rating in a CNN poll taken by the Opinion Research Corporation is 40 percent. Fifty-nine percent disapprove. Not much of a rally, but one administration figure is getting high marks.</s>CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: If you're going to do this job, it's great to be doing it at a time of consequence.</s>SCHNEIDER: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's job rating is 62 percent, much higher than her boss. More than two-thirds of Americans say they sympathize with Israel in this conflict. Sympathy with Israel has been growing since the conflict began. No division there. But there is division over what Israel should do now. Americans are split over whether Israel should continue military action until Hezbollah can no longer launch attacks, or agree to an immediate cease-fire. The cease-fire issue draws a partisan response.</s>TONY SNOW, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: If you declare an immediate cease-fire and you do not have the conditions for real peace, it is simply going to be a hollow declaration.</s>SCHNEIDER: Most Republicans agree with that. Most Democrats want a cease-fire as soon as possible. Here is something else the public is divided about. A narrow majority support sending U.S. ground troops to the Lebanese border, along with troops from other countries, for a peacekeeping force. But there's no big party split over an international force and a peacekeeping force. What about Cuba? By better than two to one, the public favors reestablishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. If Fidel Castro dies and his brother Raul takes over, that number goes even higher. No partisan split here either. Republicans and Democrats alike favor diplomatic relations with Cuba.</s>SCHNEIDER (on camera): In another issue that's making news, do Americans believe actor Mel Gibson is anti-Semitic, that is, prejudiced against Jews? Only twenty-three percent of Americans say yes, 52 percent say no. After the recent incident, Mr. Gibson put out a statement saying that he is not an anti-Semite. The evidence suggests most Americans believe him. Bill Schneider, CNN, Boston.</s>WHITFIELD: And Bill Schneider is part of the best political team on television, a team you will only see on CNN. And straight ahead, we'll talk more about Mel Gibson in our legal briefs as well as look at how a Congressman -- this Congressman -- became the subject of a lawsuit related to a tragedy in Iraq. And, of course, this man, as I mentioned, Mel Gibson, we'll be talking about him, his case. You don't want to miss that.