From The Worshipping At The Altar Of The Pollster Department:

From Human Events Online and The Washington Times comes the totally surprising news that pollster John Zogby is a greedy fraudster who can't really read our minds.

The Washington Times carries a column today by Joel Mowbray about John Zogby’s poll last week about Americans’ negative feelings toward Wal-Mart. After reading Mowbray’s column, it’s clear Zogby is no fan of Wal-Mart and, therefore, had no problem helping an anti-Wal-Mart group circulate the Wal-Mart-bashing poll.

Mowbray reveals: “In recent years, Mr. Zogby has pocketed roughly $90,000 to serve as an expert witness for individuals suing Wal-Mart, according to testimony he gave in a deposition last year in an Arizona case. Nowhere is Mr. Zogby’s prior work on behalf of plaintiffs mentioned in the press release announcing the poll results.”

But even setting aside Mowbray’s excellent reporting, readers should be reminded of Zogby’s flubs, and there was perhaps none bigger than his call of the 2004 presidential election for John Kerry. I still don’t know how Zogby could have called Virginia for Kerry.

Other Zogby errors: He predicted then-Rep. Rick Lazio would defeat Hillary Clinton in the New York Senate race in 2000, and he foresaw Rep. Tom DeLay’s defeat in 2002.

As much as I admire Zogby for keeping his business based in Utica, N.Y., giving my hometown some much-needed jobs and publicity, I’m losing faith in the man who in 1996 “was the only pollster to call the presidential election to the exact percentage point.”