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(CNN) - With less than two months until primary day in Illinois, a new poll suggests that Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk are their party's frontrunners in the battle for President Barack Obama's old senate seat - though the Chicago Tribune/WGN survey also indicates that more than a third of Democratic voters and nearly half of Republican voters are undecided.

Thirty-one percent of likely Democratic primary voters questioned in the poll say they're backing Giannoulias, who was elected in 2006 at age 30 as Illinois state treasurer. That's 14 points ahead of former Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson.

No other Democratic candidate was in double digits, according to the survey, which also indicates that 35 percent of Democrats remain undecided.

According to the poll, Giannoulias leads Jackson among female voters by a two-to-one margin, even though Jackson's the only woman in the Democratic primary.

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Poll: Limbaugh most influential conservative, say Americans.

(CNN) – Americans overwhelmingly say talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh is currently the most influential conservative, according to a new poll.

In the new survey conducted by CBS' "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine, 26 percent of those sampled identified Limbaugh as the leading conservative, followed by fellow media personality Glenn Beck at 11 percent.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin followed close behind with 10 percent each.

The only Republican who currently holds office to make the list is House Minority Leader John Boehner, who registered 4 percent in the poll.

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Washington (CNN) – A new national poll indicates that some Americans are cooling to global warming.

According to an ABC News/Washington Post survey released Tuesday - less than two weeks before the start of a global conference on climate change in Copenhagen, Denmark - 72 percent of those polled believe that climate change is happening, down 8 points over the past year.

The poll indicates that the rise in skepticism is mostly due to a shift among Republicans and independents. According to the survey, 54 percent of Republicans questioned believe global warming is happening, down 22 points over the past three-and-a-half years, with a drop of 15 points among independents. The belief in climate change dipped 6 points among Democrats during the same period of time.

The survey's release comes as a Democratic-sponsored "cap-and-trade" proposal to cut pollution slowly makes it way through Congress. The bill calls for the federal government to limit the amount of greenhouse gases that companies can produce in their factories or power plants, and to penalize companies that exceed greenhouse gas limits with fines or by making those businesses pay money to other companies that produce less pollution.

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A new poll suggests that Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats about voting in next year's midterm elections.

Washington (CNN) - When it comes to Congress, a 'throw the bums out' attitude appears to be alive and well.

According to a new Pew Research Center poll, 52 percent of registered voters would like to see their own member of the House of Representatives re-elected next year, while just over one in three say that most members of Congress should be returned to office. Both numbers come close to the all-time lows seen just prior to the 1994 election, when the Republicans won control of Congress, and the 2006 contest, when the Democrats returned to power in both chambers.

The survey indicates that only 42 percent of independent voters want to see their own representative re-elected in 2010, and just one in four independents think most members of Congress should be returned to office.

The poll suggests that Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats. Fifty-eight percent of people who say they plan to vote for Republican in next year's elections say they are very enthusiastic about voting. That's 16 points higher than the 42 percent of people of plan to vote for a Democrat who describe themselves as enthusiastic.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released last week also indicated that Republicans are more energized right now than Democrats.

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A new poll suggests that Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats about voting in next year's midterm elections.

Washington (CNN) - When it comes to Congress, a 'throw the bums out' attitude appears to be alive and well.

According to a new Pew Research Center poll, 52 percent of registered voters would like to see their own member of the House of Representatives re-elected next year, while just over one in three say that most members of Congress should be returned to office. Both numbers come close to the all-time lows seen just prior to the 1994 election, when the Republicans won control of Congress, and the 2006 contest, when the Democrats returned to power in both chambers.

The survey indicates that only 42 percent of independent voters want to see their own representative re-elected in 2010, and just one in four independents think most members of Congress should be returned to office.

The poll suggests that Republicans are more enthusiastic than Democrats. Fifty-eight percent of people who say they plan to vote for Republican in next year's elections say they are very enthusiastic about voting. That's 16 points higher than the 42 percent of people of plan to vote for a Democrat who describe themselves as enthusiastic.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released last week also indicated that Republicans are more energized right now than Democrats.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new poll indicates that Republican Bob McDonnell holds a double-digit lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds in Virginia's gubernatorial battle.

The release of the Washington Post poll Monday evening comes eight days before voters in Virginia head to the polls, and it comes on the eve of a campaign stop by President Barack Obama, who teams up with Deeds at a rally in Norfolk Tuesday.

Fifty-five percent of likely Virginia voters questioned in the survey say they back McDonnell, the state's former attorney general, with 44 percent supporting Deeds, a state senator from the western part of the state. McDonnell's 11-point advantage is up from an 9-point margin last month.

The poll indicates that McDonnell holds double-digit advantages on such issues at the economy, taxes, and transportation - and now leads Deeds for the first time in this campaign on issues of special concern to women.
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Crist's primary lead over Rubio shrinking.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The battle for Florida Republican voters appears to be heating up.

A new Quinnipiac University poll suggests that Gov. Charlie Christ's wide lead over former state house speaker Marco Rubio in the GOP senate primary has been cut in half.

According to the survey, which was released Wednesday morning, Crist leads Rubio 50 percent to 35 percent, down from 55 percent to 26 percent in August.

Earlier this week Rubio won the endorsement of a major out-of-state conservative, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, who said in a statement that Rubio "will stand up for America's taxpayers, not with President Obama and dangerous big government spending."

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Poll: Hillary Clinton more popular than Barack Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – She lost to him in last year's battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, but a new national poll suggests that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is now more popular than her boss, President Barack Obama.

A Gallup survey released Thursday indicates that 62 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of Clinton, 6 points higher than the 56 percent who view Obama favorably.

According to the poll, the president's favorable rating has dropped 22 points from its inaugural-month level in January. The survey indicates that Clinton's favorable rating has only edged down 3 points since the beginning of the year.

Nine in 10 Democrats questioned in the poll view both Obama and Clinton favorably, with independents split. Fewer than one in five Republicans hold a favorable opinion of the president, while 35 percent see Clinton in a positive light. According to the survey, Obama has dropped 23 points with independents and 41 points with Republicans since January, while Clinton has dropped just 6 points among independents and stayed even among Republicans since the start of 2009.

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Obama's approval dip in Florida largely mirrors his numbers nationwide.

(CNN) - President Obama's approval ratings are sinking in a key state that helped seal his White House victory, a new survey out Thursday suggests.

According to a new Quinnipiac University poll of Florida voters, the president's approval rating now stands at 47 percent in the Sunshine State, while 48 percent of voters there disapprove of the job he is doing.

Obama's approval in that key presidential swing state is now at a new low, and down more than 10 points from a similar survey conducted in June.

The poll also suggests the president's approval rating in Florida has largely been hurt by his aggressive push for health care reform: Only 38 percent of Florida voters believe his plan will improve the nation's healthcare system while 45 percent say it will hurt it.

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(CNN) - A new poll indicates that Republican Robert McDonnell leads Democrat Creigh Deeds in this year's battle for Virginia governor.

According to a Washington Post survey released Sunday, 47 percent of registered voters in Virginia say they'd vote for McDonnell if the governor's election were held today, with 40 percent backing Deeds.

The poll suggests that the seven point lead widens to a 54 percent to 39 percent lead for McDonnell among people likely to vote in the November contest.

The survey indicates that the two candidates are running about even in northern Virginia among registered voters. Democrats have won large majorities this decade in the voter rich region. According to the survey, McDonnell leads Deeds by nine points in the rest of the state.

Among registered voters, 13 percent remain undecided and another 39 percent who are backing either Deeds or McDonnell say they could change their mind. Only 48 percent said their minds are made up.
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A new poll suggests a possible rebound for Sen. Dodd.

(CNN) - A new poll of Connecticut voters indicates that Senator Christopher Dodd's approval rating is on the rise, but still in negative territory.

Forty-two percent of people questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released Thursday morning say they approve of how Dodd is handling his duties as senator, up nine points from April. But 52 percent disapprove of the job Dodd's doing in office.

The poll suggests Dodd is still struggling with independent voters, with six in 10 giving the five term Democratic senator who's up for re-election next year a thumbs down.

Quinnipiac's April poll came out right after the news of Dodd's involvement in the AIG bonus controversy. Since then, a bill Dodd co-sponsored that makes it tougher for credit card issuers to raise feeds and interest rates was signed into law. And with Sen. Ted Kennedy sidelined as he battles brain cancer, Dodd as taken a leading role in steering health care reform through one of the key congressional committees dealing with the legislation.

"Sen. Dodd's numbers among Democrats are back to where they used to be," says Quinnipiac University poll director Douglas Schwartz. "But he still is struggling with Independents, who will be harder to win back than his own partisans."

"Dodd's most glaring weakness continues to be that a majority of voters say he is not honest and trustworthy. This is not something that will be easy for Dodd to reverse," adds Schwartz.

The poll indicates Dodd trails former congressman Rob Simmons, a likely Republican challenger, 48 to 39 percent in a hypothetical matchup in next year's Senate race.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted July 16-20, with 1,499 Connecticut registered voters questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

A new poll out Wednesday has bad news for Sen. Specter's re-election bid.

(CNN) - A new poll of Pennsylvania voters suggests that Sen. Arlen Specter's double-digit lead over Republican challenger Pat Toomey in his bid for re-election next year has disappeared.

Forty-five percent of people questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday say they'd back Specter if the 2010 election were held today, with 44 percent supporting Toomey. That's a dramatic change from early May, soon after Specter switched from the Republican to Democratic parties, when a Quinnipiac poll indicated Specter held a 20 point lead over Toomey.

By a 49 to 40 percent margin, the poll indicates that Specter does not deserve to be re-elected to a sixth term next year. And 47 percent approve of how Specter's handling his duties as senator, matching his lowest approval rating ever in Quinnipiac polling. Forty-six percent disapprove, the highest disapproval rating ever.

"Sen. Arlen Specter's 20-point lead over former Congressman Pat Toomey less than three months ago has virtually vanished," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Voters see Sen. Specter much less favorably than they once did and are net negative about giving him a sixth term in the U.S. Senate."
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A new poll suggests that Gov. Rendell's approval ratings have reached an all-time low.

(CNN) - It's not easy being an incumbent governor nowadays.

Just ask Pennsylvania's Ed Rendell: A new poll of Keystone State voters suggests that second-term governor's approval rating has dropped to an all-time low.

Thirty-nine percent of those questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday approve of the job Rendell's doing as Pennsylvania governor. That's a drop of 15 points from May, and marks Rendell's lowest level ever in Quinnipiac polling.

The survey indicates that nine out of ten Pennsylvania voters say the inability of Rendell and state lawmakers to come up with a budget agreement by the June 30th deadline is a serious problem, and Rendell gets much of the blame.
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A new poll shows trouble for the president on health care.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - As President Barack Obama begins a week full pushing for health care reform, a new national poll indicates the president is slipping on the issue.

Forty-nine percent of people questioned in an ABC News/Washington Post survey released Monday approve of the way Obama is handling health care. That's down four points from last month and down nine points from April. Forty-four percent disapprove, up five points from June and 15 points from April.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll is the third national survey to suggest that the president's approval rating on health care reform is under 50 percent, joining a CBS News poll and a Quinnipiac University survey.

The new poll indicates Obama still has a large advantage over Republicans on the issue. Fifty-four percent of those questioned say they trust Obama to do a better job handling health care than Republicans in Congress, with 34 percent putting more faith in Congressional Republicans than the president.

The ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted July 15-18, with 1,001 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

A new poll suggests that only three in ten Nevada voters hold a favorable opinion of Senator John Ensign.

(CNN) - A new poll suggests that only three in ten Nevada voters hold a favorable opinion of Senator John Ensign, although most don't want Ensign to resign in the wake of his confession of an extra marital affair with a former staffer. But when the poll, conducted by Mason-Dixon for the Las Vegas Journal Review, asked whether Ensign should run for re-election, less than half the respondents said they would like to see his name on the ballot again when his current term expires.

The poll indicates that 31 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Nevada's junior senator, down eight points from June survey taken immediately after Ensign's admission, and down 22 points from May.

Ensign announced on June 16 that he had had a nine-month extramarital affair with a woman who worked on his campaign staff. Ensign said the relationship ended last August. The woman's husband worked in Ensign's Senate office.

"The Mason-Dixon poll indicates that the circumstances surrounding the affair, rather than the affair itself, are what bother Nevada voters," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Only three in ten say that the fact that Ensign had an affair is a very serious matter. But twice as many feel that way when told that the affair was with his wife's best friend, and half feel the same when told that the woman in question was the wife of a top Senate aide."
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Americans aren't confident the economy is recovering.

WASHINGTON (CNN)– A new national poll indicates that nearly half of all Americans think the economy has stabilized, but only one in eight believe that a recovery has started. And four in ten questioned in the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Thursday morning feel the country's still in an economic downturn.

"Although polls in recent months have shown some signs of growing optimism, that appears to have stalled," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "In January, 50 percent said the economy was in very poor shape; that figure dropped to 37 percent in April, but now it has risen slightly, to 41 percent."

"The prevailing view? We're in a stall," says CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider.

The poll suggests that when it comes to an economic recovery, Americans are in agreement with President Barack Obama. Discussing the economy last week at a news conference at the White House, Obama said "we're still not at actual recovery yet. So I anticipate that this is going to be a difficult, difficult year."

One in five questioned said the economic conditions in the country today are good, up nine points from March.
The economy remains the number-one issue on American minds, but that figure has dropped 12 points from March.
"When asked to name the most important issue besides the economy, Americans name health care, followed by the federal deficit and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," adds Holland.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted Friday through Sunday, with 1,026 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

New Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter, pictured in this file photo with the president at a White House event, has lost ground against his likely Republican challenger in a new poll.

(CNN) - A new poll of Pennsylvania voters suggests that Sen. Arlen Specter's lead over his most likely Republican challenger in next year's re-election battle is shrinking.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday indicates that Specter tops former Rep. Pat Toomey by nine points, 46 percent to 37 percent. That's down from a 20 point lead that Specter held over Toomey in Quinnipiac's previous poll, which was released at the beginning of May, around the time that Specter switched from a Republican to a Democrat.

The poll suggests that Specter would top Rep. Joe Sestak 50 percent to 21 percent in a probable Democratic primary matchup. On Wednesday, Sestak announced that he would challenge Specter as long as his family goes along with the decision. The poll was conducted before Sestak's decision was announced.
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A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation indicates that most Americans don't want to see an investigation of Bush administration officials who authorized harsh interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new national poll indicates that most Americans don't want to see an investigation of Bush administration officials who authorized harsh interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists, even though most people think such procedures were forms of torture.

Six in ten people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday believe that some of the procedures, such as water boarding, were a form of torture, with 36 percent disagreeing.

But half the public approves of the Bush administration's decision to use of those techniques during the questioning of suspected terrorists, with 50 percent in approval and 46 percent opposed.

"Roughly one in five Americans believe those techniques were torture but nonetheless approve of the decision to use those procedures against suspected terrorists," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "That goes a long way toward explaining why a majority don't want to see former Bush officials investigated."

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New Three states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa, currently allow same-sex marriages.

(CNN) – A new national poll suggests that a majority of Americans oppose legalizing same sex marriages - but there's a vast generational divide on the issue.

Fifty-four percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday say that marriages between gay or lesbian couples should not be recognized as valid, with 44 percent suggests they should be considered legal.
Among those 18 to 34 years old, 58 percent said same-sex marriages should be legal. That number drops to 42 percent among respondents 35 to 49 years old, and to 41 percent for those 50 to 64 years of age. The poll indicates that only 24 percent of Americans 65 and older support recognizing same-sex marriages as valid.

While a majority of those polled oppose legalizing gay marriage, 6 out of 10 feel that states that do not recognize gay marriages allow civil unions. When it comes to supporting civil unions, the poll indicates a similar generational shift.

Three states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa, currently allow same-sex marriages. A law passed by Vermont law makers that makes gay and lesbian marriages legal takes effect in the state later this year. Lawmakers in Maine and New Hampshire are close to passing a similar bill.

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A new poll handicaps Arlen Specter's general election chances in 2010 against two prominent Pennsylvania Republicans.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - A new poll of Pennsylvania voters suggests that the newest Democrat in Congress, Sen. Arlen Specter, would easily beat his old rival, Republican Pat Toomey, in Specter's battle for re-election next year.

But the Quinnipiac University survey, released Monday, indicates that Specter would have a much tougher re-election fight on his hands if he faces
off in 2010 against former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge.

Last Tuesday Specter, who has represented Pennsylvania in the Senate for nearly 30 years as a Republican, announced he was switching his party affiliation from the GOP to the Democrats.

The longtime moderate Republican said he was "anxious" to stay in the Senate, and didn't want to face a Republican primary in order to keep his seat next year.

"I was unwilling to subject my 29-year record in the U.S. Senate to the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate," Specter said Tuesday. "But I am pleased to run in the primary on the Democratic ticket and am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers in the general election."

Fifty-three percent of Pennsylvania voters say they would back Specter if their state's Senate race were held today, with 33 percent supporting Toomey. The fiscally conservative former congressman narrowly lost to Specter in the 2004 Pennsylvania Republican Senate primary and decided to take on Specter a second time after Specter was one of only three Republicans in Congress to vote for President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus package.

But if Specter faces off against Ridge, a popular former Pennsylvania governor before joining the Bush Administration after the September 11th attacks as the first director and then secretary of Homeland Security, the poll indicates the race, if held today, would be extremely close. Forty-six percent of those questioned back Specter, with 43 percent supporting Ridge.

CNN's Dana Bash reports that Ridge has been formally approached by the Republican establishment in Pennsylvania to try and run in next year's election. A GOP strategist tells Bash that while it would be a struggle to encourage Ridge to run, the former governor did not close the door to the suggestion in his private conversation with top state Republicans.

"Gov. Tom Ridge is probably the only political figure in Pennsylvania who could give Sen. Arlen Specter a run for his money. But even if he gets a strong challenge from a Republican, Specter is still better off for having changed parties because he seemed headed to certain defeat had he stayed a Republican and faced Toomey in a primary," says Clay Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
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