The Times Poll : 78% Perceive a Cover-up by White House

Americans believe the Iran- contras arms deal involves a White House cover-up that is, or could be, as serious as Watergate and raises questions about the President’s personal control over state affairs, the Los Angeles Times Poll has found.

Although only one in 10 Americans thinks a cover-up will lead to President Reagan’s resignation, the poll indicates that the foreign policy crisis has become a domestic political liability for the Administration and has diminished Reagan’s ability to lead.

The poll, conducted by telephone Dec. 6-9, found that 71% of Americans believe that White House Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan knew about the Iran-contras affair, and 73% believe that CIA Director William J. Casey knew. Sixty-seven percent said they believe that Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter, who resigned as national security adviser, and Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, who reportedly oversaw the arms shipments while serving on the National Security Council, acted on “orders from higher up.”

Leadership ‘Diminished’

To 85% of the Democrats and 69% of the Republicans--or 78% of the people surveyed--the perceived knowledge of Regan, Casey and others indicated that there has been a White House cover-up. Six of 10 Americans said the incident was at least as serious or could become as serious as Watergate, and about the same number said the President’s ability to lead would be “diminished but not destroyed.” Three in 10 believe that his leadership will not be affected.

Despite the disillusionment with the White House, Americans appear to be in no mood for a witch hunt and rate Reagan’s key advisers as a group as favorably as they rate the President himself. They want Reagan to admit that it was a mistake to send weapons to Iran and the Nicaraguan rebels--the Iranian shipments were the more serious of the two blunders, they say--and they want a full investigation, rather than letting Reagan put “this whole business behind him as soon as possible.” But only 30% of the respondents think the President should fire Regan, and only 12% want Secretary of State George P. Shultz fired.

Reagan remains popular, with an approval rating of 50%, but the perception emerging from the poll is one of a President who has not mastered complicated problems and who--to the displeasure of Americans--lets his aides make major decisions without his knowledge.

Faulted on Issues

Only one in three Americans believes that the President is “very familiar” with complex issues; nearly two in three think he is merely “somewhat” familiar or “somewhat” unfamiliar.

Forty-one percent of Americans surveyed by Times Poll Director I. A. Lewis said the 75-year-old President was too old to keep up with his duties. A majority--55%--disagreed, saying age was not a factor. By comparison, when asked in 1984 if Reagan was too old to run for reelection, only 27% answered yes.

Should Not Delegate

There was near unanimity among Republicans and Democrats that a President should not delegate major decision-making responsibilities to advisers. Half the people polled said Reagan relies too heavily on his aides, and seven in 10 believe that he lets them make “some of the big decisions” without his knowledge.

Respondents rejected Reagan’s contention that he knew nothing about profits from Iranian arm sales secretly funding anti-government rebels in Nicaragua. Asked why Reagan did not act if he knew about the deals, 32% said he failed to grasp the significance of the transfers, 31% said his aides did not tell him and 18% said he did not want to know.

Asked if Vice President George Bush knew that money from Iranian arms sales was financing the contras, 43% said yes, 32% said no and 24% were not sure.

The respondents indicated a strong belief that the U.S. government has moral responsibilities to fulfill: By a 2-1 margin, Americans said the government is never justified in lying to the public or in breaking the law. In a previous Times poll last month, just after the arms shipments to Iran were revealed, 50% of those surveyed said the government was sometimes justified in lying; this time only 30% accepted that premise.

Forty-two percent of Americans believe that the media have covered the Iran-contras crisis properly, and 37% say they have been too aggressive. In a response that perhaps reflects the public’s desire to protect a popular President, 31% said the media have covered Reagan negatively--up from 10% when the same question was asked in April, 1981--and 45% said coverage was fair (down from 65% five years ago).

The poll surveyed a cross section of 1,800 Americans. The margin of error in a survey of this size is 3% in either direction.

WHO KNEW? Who Knew that money from the sale of weapons to Iran was being used to supply the contras?Vice President Bush Knew 43% Didn’t know 32% Chief of Staff Regan Knew 71% Didn’t know 8% CIA Director Casey Knew 73% Didn’t know 6% President Reagan Knew everything 22% Knew something 60% Knew nothing 12% Los Angeles Times PUTTING THE AFFAIR BEHIND US Do you think the Presidnt ought to admit it was a mistake for the U.S. government to . . . . . . send military weapons to Iran? Ought to 73% Ought not to 16% . . . supply weapons to the contras? Ought to 57% Ought not to 29%