Obama Approval at 69%; US Split Over Memos

As he nears the 100-day mark, President Obama’s approval ratings remain high at 69%, a Washington Post-ABC News poll finds—but the recent release of torture memos has sparked a major partisan split. Just over half of those polled back the release; three-quarters of Dems support it, while about the same proportion of Republicans oppose it. Half of independents support the decision; 46% are against it.

The country is also split over whether the officials implicated in the memos should face a probe: 51% say yes, 47% no, with 70% of Dems backing such a move and 70% of Republicans opposing it. Support is high for Obama’s work on the economy, and majorities say he’s beaten their expectations, achieved a great deal, and kept promises. Some 72% have a “favorable impression” of the president, but many were concerned about his handling of the budget deficit, immigration, and automakers.
(More poll stories.)