Fred Thompson: Iraq Wasn't the Key Issue in 2006

Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson says that the Democratic takeover of Congress last November had nothing to do with Iraq.

Instead, the presidential hopeful contends, out-of-control spending by Republicans and "unrestrained partisanship" were to blame. Thompson's Leon Panetta-esque perception of the 2006 midterm elections is, to put it mildly, just plain wrong. (But why should that surprise us? He did vote for the war in 2002.)

Here are the numbers to prove it.

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Nov. 1-4, 2006. N=1,205 adults nationwide. Fieldwork by TNS. Results below are among registered voters.
"Which of the following will be/was the SINGLE MOST important issue in your vote for Congress this year: the U.S. campaign against terrorism, the war in Iraq, the economy, immigration, ethics in government, health care or something else?" Items rotated
				.
		%
	Iraq	31
	Economy	21
	Health care	12
	Terrorism	11
	Immigration	9
	Ethics in government	6
	Something else	7
	Unsure	2

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Nov. 2-3, 2006. N=1,045 registered voters nationwide. MoE � 4.
					.
"In deciding your vote for Congress this year, which ONE of the following issues is most important to you? . . ." Options rotated
					.
			11/2-3/06	10/26-27/06
			%	%
	The situation in Iraq		32	29
	The economy		19	21
	Terrorism		12	14
	Health care		11	14
	Immigration		10	11
	Abortion		5	4
	Stem cell research		3	3
	Other/None of these (vol.)		3	2
	Unsure		5	2

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Oct. 27-31, 2006. N=598 likely voters nationwide. MoE � 4 (for all likely voters).
					.
"Of all the problems facing this country today, which one do you most want the new Congress to concentrate on first?" Open-ended
					.
			ALL	Republicans	Democrats	Independents
			%	%	%	%
	War in Iraq		39	25	53	36
	Illegal immigration		9	15	3	10
	Economy and jobs		7	4	6	10
	Defense/Military		5	8	4	5
	Health care		5	2	8	5
	Terrorism (general)		5	10	1	4
	Education		2	1	2	2
	Foreign policy		2	1	2	2
	Taxes/IRS		2	2	1	1
	Environment		2	3	1	1
	Other		15	22	14	15
	Unsure		7	7	5	9

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 26-27, 2006. Nationwide.
					.
"In deciding your vote for Congress this year, which ONE of the following issues is most important to you? . . ." Options rotated. N=875 registered voters, MoE � 4.
					.
			ALL	Republicans	Democrats	Independents
			%	%	%	%
	The situation in Iraq		29	14	40	30
	The economy		21	21	24	18
	Health care		14	12	14	17
	Terrorism		14	28	6	10
	Immigration		11	14	6	12
	Abortion		4	7	2	2
	Stem cell research		3	1	4	6
	Other/None of these (vol.)		2	1	2	3
	Unsure		2	2	2	2

On election night, CNN had an exit poll that showed corruption being the top issue for voters.

Asked which issues were extremely important to their vote, 42 percent said corruption and ethics; 40 percent, terrorism; 39 percent, the economy; 37 percent, Iraq; 36 percent, values; and 29 percent, illegal immigration.

But even taking that exit poll at face value and giving Thompson the benefit of the doubt, his claim still does not hold water. (Notice partisanship in Washington? Yeah, me neither.)

With Thompson all but formally seeking the GOP nomination, the former senator's got to rattle off a series of right-wing talking points based on half-truths and falsities to catch up with the likes of Rudy McRomney.

So far, he's off to a good start.

(Hat tip: Greg Sargent, TPM Cafe)

Cross-posted at The Right's Field