A new Gallup Poll shows that Americans believe the government's handling of the attack in Benghazi last September 11 deserves further investigation, as do the revelations of the IRS singling out religious and conservative groups for scrutiny.

Seventy-four percent of those surveyed agree that the issues raised with the IRS treatment of conservatives need to be investigated, while 69 percent believe there should be further investigation of Benghazi. 

Majorities of Republicans, Democrats and Independents all agree on examination of the IRS case, while just under half of Democrats felt the same way about Benghazi.

But the Gallup organization also reports that despite widespread news coverage of the two events, the level of attention Americans are paying to them is below the average of 60 percent who closely followed more than 200 news stories Gallup has measured over several decades.

Conductors of the survey noted that Republicans have a much keener level of interest and much more "strongly" agree that the government should be investigated than Democrats, and an aide to President Obama seemed to confirm that on a Sunday morning talk show.

When "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace asked Dan Pfeiffer where the president was on the night of the Benghazi attack, Pfeiffer called it "an irrelevant fact" and said Wallace's questions about the administration's handling of the incident were "offensive." 

The nationwide Gallup survey was conducted May 14-15 and was a random survey of 1,022 adults aged 18 and older.  The margin for error is 4 percent.