CNN Poll: Majority of Americans Oppose Boehner’s Netanyahu Invite

According to a newly-released CNN/ORC poll, a majority of Americans oppose House Speaker John Boehner‘s (R-OH) invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress.

Boehner extended the invite to Netanyahu without first consulting the White House in a move that Democrats called “inappropriate” and an attempt to spite Obama that could put Iran nuclear talks in jeopardy. Israeli officials have said they assumed Boehner would have told Obama, accusing Boehner of misleading Netanyahu about the whole thing.

The CNN/ORC poll shows that 63 percent of Americans side with President Obama, and believe that Boehner should not have invited Netanyahu without first informing the president. Only 33 percent said it was a good move. Republicans are also split on the issue, with 52 percent approving of the invitation.

–RELATED: Did Boehner Just Admit He Kept White House Out of the Loop on Netanyahu Invitation?

The White House’s position all along has been that the speech amounts to a breach of diplomatic protocol, as it falls just a few weeks before Netanyahu is up

for re-election in Israel. The Obama Administration has been engaged in nuclear talks with Iran, while Netanyahu is expected to push for more sanctions against Iran. Netanyahu has thus far dismissed those objections. Obama will not meet with Netanyahu when he is in Washington.

Some conservatives have defended Boehner, saying President Obama routinely goes out of his way to “show disdain” for Congress. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was the first senator to say he will not attend the speech, and others have followed suit.

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