A trio of scandals seem to have had little effect on the public’s feelings about President Barack Obama, who enjoys a 53% approval rating, according to the latest CNN/ORC poll.
For the past week, the White House has dealt with investigations into the September attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, IRS targeting of tax-exempt conservative groups, and controversy over the Justice Department seizing Associated Press records.
The same poll found that a majority of Americans believe both Benghazi and the IRS are important issues and that Republicans have not overreacted.
Fallout from the controversies prompted the Obama administration to appoint a new IRS chief, push for shield laws protecting journalists, and investigate the Benghazi security breach. A Gallup Poll conducted late last week found that Americans’ interest in the scandals was below average, with Republicans showing more interest than Democrats in both the IRS and Benghazi investigations.
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