43

By Creature

That's the percentage of American people who believe it is “somewhat likely” or "very likely" that the CIA lied to Nancy Pelosi about the use of waterboarding when interrogating detainees. On the other end, 41% say it’s “not very likely” or “not at all likely.” Now, keeping in mind this is a right-leaning Rasmussen poll and the media's embrace of the Republican frame on this, I'm very surprised that so many people were willing to give Pelosi the benefit of the doubt.

For me, for the record, on the narrow lie that waterboarding had already been used when Pelosi was briefed that it could legally be used, I'm fully in the pluralities camp. Everything the Bush administration did to CYA on torture, including briefings, was after the fact and no amount of muddying can change that.