St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page A011

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The margin of error is larger for subgroups. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Jim Talent? Favorable Unfavorable How would you rate the performance of Jim Talent as a U.S. Senator? Excellent Pretty good Only fair Poor Not sure Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Claire McCaskill? Favorable No opinion No opinion Unfavorable If the 2006 election for U.S. Senate seat were held today, would you vote for Jim Talent, the Republican, or Claire McCaskill, the Democrat? Talent McCaskill Undecided Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Matt Blunt? Favorable Unfavorable How would you rate the performance of Matt Blunt as Governor? Excellent Pretty good Only fair Poor Not sure Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Jay Nixon? Favorable No opinion No opinion Unfavorable If the 2008 election for Missouri governor were held today, would you vote for Matt Blunt, the Republican, or Jay Nixon, the Democrat? Blunt Nixon Undecided POLL FROMA1 VotersatoddswithBluntinitiatives STATE ISSUES Which do you consider the most important issue facing Missouri? Education funding Roads and bridge construction Balancing the state budget Avoiding tax increases Lowering gas prices Not Providing Medicaid coverage for the poor and disabled Which do you consider the second most important issue facing Missouri? Education funding Roads and bridge construction Balancing the state budget Avoiding tax increases Lowering gas prices Not Providing Medicaid coverage for the poor and disabled McCaskillandTalentare instatisticaldeadheat polledvoterslastweekforthe Post-DispatchandKMOV-TV (Channel4). ThepollshowedNixonwithan eight-percentage-pointedgeover marginoferrorrateof3.5per- centagepointsforeachnumber.

Butasamplingofthosewho backedNixonindicatedthathis supporthingedlargelyondissatis- factionwithBlunt. weresoone-sidedthatthemargin Roughlytwo-thirdssaidthe comparedwithoneinfivewho andfewerthanonein10who Oppositionwasstatewidebut particularlystronginthecities andsuburbs. fromKirkwoodwhodescribed herselfasaRepublican-leaningin- dependent. PollparticipantJohnVandillen, upset. fersonCityhavecertainlyshown nointerestinthepooranddisa- noritypolledwhobackedthe cuts.

ingoodgovernmentandnowel- Butunderscoringtheoverall tionasthetoptwostateissues amongthosepolled. AlisuggeststhatBluntandhis Republicanalliesaddressthe fortroubleatthepollsinNovem- ber. explainwhyabouttwo-thirdsof thosepolledsupporttheballot baccotaxesby80centsapackon othertobaccoproducts. Leadersoftheinitiative-peti- tioneffortproposeusingmostof themoneyraisedbythetaxtoin- creaseMedicaidpaymentstohos- careproviders. Alipredictedthatsupportfor thetobaccotaxproposalsmay softenafteropponentslaunch theircampaignsagainstit.

Groupsrepresentingconven- iencestoresandtobaccocompa- niesnarrowlydefeatedaMissouri manypre-electionpollshadindi- catedthatthehikemightpass. Theproposaltoprotectem- bryonicstemcellresearchalsoat- tractedstrongsupportfromabout fortisbackedbyvariousMissouri universitiesandresearchinstitu- tions. PollparticipantJamesBrady, AlisaidBluntneededtofigure outhowtokeepthesupportofhis agreewithhimonthestem-cell issue.Meanwhile,hemustwin backmoderatevoterswhoagree withhimonthestem-cellissue buthaveshunnedhimoverMedi- caidcuts. 314-340-8334 ByJoMannies POST-DISPATCHPOLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Withtheelection10monthsaway, stateAuditorClaireMcCaskillis inastatisticaldeadheatwiththe manshehopestoreplaceinthe U.S.Senate,incumbentJimTal- ent. likelyvotersinMissourishowed that47percentpreferredMcCas- Ninepercentwereundecided.

sideredstatisticallysignificantbe- oferrorrateof3.5percentage pointsforeachfigure. Butthepollshowedasizable gendergap.McCaskillhadan 11-pointedgeamongwomen, whileTalenthadafive-pointedge amongmen. Thosepolledgavesimilarfavorableratingstobothcandidates: 50percentviewedTalentfavor- forMcCaskill. percentofthosepolledratedhis AlisaidTalentwasprobably beinghurtbythenationalcontro- versiesinWashingtoninvolving indictedlobbyistJackAbramoff, whoaidedprimarilyRepublicans. Talentrecentlyreturnedabout orhisclients.

herproposaltobanlobbyistgifts tomembersofCongressandto establishanewIndependent EthicsCommissionwithinvesti- gativeandauditorypowers. Republicanshavecounteredby citingherdonationsfromDemo- cratswithallegedtiestoAbra- mofforhisclients.Alisaidthat peeloffMissourisupport. MEDICAID CUTS STEM CELLS TOBACCO Last year, Gov. Matt Blunt and the Legislature tightened eligibility for Medicaid, the health care program for the poor. What do you think of the changes made last year by Gov.

Blunt and the Legislature? Missouri voters may face a ballot proposal that would allow all types of stem cell research allowed under federal law, including an embryonic stem cell procedure known as somatic cell nuclear transfer. Which of the following most accurately describes your viewpoint on stem cell research? Missouri should allow all stem cell research approved under federal law, including somatic cell nuclear transfer Missouri should bar embryonic stem cell research and only allow adult stem cell research. Not sure Too severe Not enough Just right Not sure The proposal also would allow the use of leftover fertilized embryos from fertility clinics, with the approval. Which of the following most accurately describes your viewpoint on this proposal? Allow using leftover embryos from fertility clinics Oppose using leftover embryos from fertility clinics Not sure Missouri voters may face a ballot proposal in November that seeks to increase the tobacco tax by 80 cents a pack on cigarettes and to triple the tax on other tobacco products. What is your opinion on the proposal? Favor Oppose Not sure ByKevinMcDermott POST-DISPATCHSPRINGFIELDBUREAU Gov.Rod Blagojevichisenteringhiscam- paignforasecondtermwith fewerthanhalfofIllinoisans behindhim.

Thereasonmaybethatvot- cordingtoapollbythePost- DispatchandKMOV-TV (Channel4). posednewinfrastructurepro- hissuggestionthatschoolre- buildingcouldbefundedwitha state-runkenogame. Perhapsmostominouslyfor statisticallyidenticaltothatof theRepublicanfrontrunnerfor significantlyhigherthanhers. Pollstersconductedtele- phoneinterviewswith800like- lyvotersinIllinoisbetween MondayandWednesday. Blagojevichhaspeggedhis re-electionhopesthisyear largelyontwomassivestateini- universalhealthcaretoIllinois structurerebuildingplan.

ThenewpollsuggestsBla- gojevichismisreadingIllinois- anceformoredebt. Whenrespondentswere askedtoranksixstateissues, thetopissuebyfarwaseduca- tionfunding.Balancingthestate budgetwasthesecondmost- chosentoppriorityamongre- spondents. mantraBlagojevichhasclungto spondentscallingittheirtop priority. Blagojevichisopposedinthe MarchDemocraticprimaryby formerChicagoaldermanEd- winEisendrath. frontrunnerandcurrentlyIlli- fourcandidatesvyingforthe GOPnominationforgovernor.

Recentpollshaveconsistently putherfaraheadofthreeRe- RonGidwitzandstateSen.Bill Illinoispollshows.