Dianne Fein(Swine)stein remains in voters' good graces, Field Poll shows

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/12021805.htm

WASHINGTON - Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., continues to be highly popular among state voters and would cruise to re-election next year against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to a Field Poll released today.

Feinstein's approval rating was 54 percent in the poll, with just 26 percent disapproving of her job performance. The figures are up from her 50 percent approval rating in a February Field Poll. The latest poll of 711 registered voters was taken June 13-19 and has a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.

First elected to a partial term in 1992 and narrowly re-elected in 1994, Feinstein has consistently polled near or above 50 percent approval in recent years, with a third of voters or less disapproving of her performance. She easily won her last election in 2000, defeating Republican Tom Campbell 56 percent to 37 percent. The Field Poll found that California voters were inclined to re-elect her in 2006 by the same margin. ``She's built a very solid public persona,'' said Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo. ``She just seems credible, and from the public's perspective, she's doing her job.''

It's a sign of Feinstein's imposing stature that the Field Poll chose to test her against Schwarzenegger and Rice, the former Stanford University provost who makes her permanent home in Palo Alto. Neither has shown any desire to run for the Senate next year, and both are extremely unlikely to do so given their current jobs. But no significant Republican has announced plans to challenge the 72-year-old Feinstein, whom the non-partisan Cook Political Report rates as one of the toughest Senate Democrats to beat in 2006.

[bluestateguy]

1. Rice? You mean that girl with the buck teeth from Stanford?

That's how Grover Norquist describes politicians he doesn't like. So we should do it too.

[nikraye]

2. Not this voter...I'd vote for Boxer, maybe, but never for Finkstein

Watch the "Life and Times of Harvey Milk" and ask yourself if this corporate whore has changed any since her days on San Fran's city council.

She hasn't. And her remarks and behavior in response to current Mayor Gavin Newsom's courageous stance for civil rights was just disgusting.

Boxer, too, made some nearly unforgivable remarks, but had the integrity and honesty to publicly apologize and retract her criticisms of Newsom and the Gay community.