This time, our friends at the Wall Street Journal editorial page are touting a poorly worded poll on the NSA’s warrant-free domestic surveillance program:

Even more unserious has been the political posturing and mock horror that followed this month’s revelations of the National Security Agency’s warrantless phone intercepts. It’s refreshing to know that 64% of Americans, according to a recent Rasmussen poll, approve of the eavesdropping, not that we ever had doubts about the seriousness with which the American people take the terrorist threat. It’s the seriousness of American elites that concerns us.

But as the Newshounds blog pointed out, the Rasmussen question reads “Should the National Security Agency be allowed to intercept telephone conversations between terrorism suspects in other countries and people living in the United States?” And, of course, the answer is yes. But President Bush could get warrants from the FISA court for those suspects! The real question is whether Bush should be able to intercept the phone calls of Americans without seeking court approval. Any pollster who does not make that distinction clear is not addressing the issue at hand.

Update 1/4: Media Matters points out that “MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, CNBC host Lawrence Kudlow, and conservative radio host Michael Reagan” have also touted the Rasmussen poll.

Update 1/4: I checked Nexis myself, and Fox News Channel’s Jim Angle also touted the misleading poll while guest-hosting “Special Report with Brit Hume” on Dec. 28:

The National Security Agency program to eavesdrop on terrorists calling or e-mail people in the United States may be controversial in Washington, but far less so across the country. A new Rasmussen poll reveals that 64 percent of Americans believe the National Security Agency should be allowed to intercept such conversations, including 51 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of independents. Fewer than one in four actually oppose the idea. Well, what’s more 48 percent believe President Bush is not the first president to authorize such actions.