[Bumped up for visibility and comments opened.]

* According to a new Rasmussen poll, 58 percent of Illinoisans don’t think the General Assembly can balance the state’s budget without an income tax hike…

How likely is it that the Illinois legislature can balance the state budget without increasing the state income tax?

11% Very likely
25% Somewhat likely
40% Not very likely
18% Not at all likely
6% Not sure

Because of the somewhat awkward wording of the question, it’s difficult to know whether the majority has no faith in the GA’s ability to do this without a tax hike, or they understand the budget problem better than most people think (and better than many newspaper editorial writers do). Or both.

The poll surveyed 500 likely voters and was conducted June 9th. MoE is +/- 4.5.

* On to politics. You can click the image for a larger view, but here are favorable ratings for Lisa Madigan, Roland Burris, Pat Quinn, Chris Kennedy and Rod Blagojevich…

Lisa Madigan continues to be one of the most popular politicians in Illinois. A 65 percent favorable rating is pretty darned good.

* Should Lisa Madigan run for Governor or Senate?

21% Governor
23% Senate
56% Not sure

No help there.

* Gov. Quinn’s numbers are still super soft…

* Should Pat Quinn run for re-election as Governor of Illinois in 2010?

32% Yes
34% No
34% Not sure

* How would you rate the job Pat Quinn has been doing as Governor… ?

13% Strongly approve
44% Somewhat approve
23% Somewhat disapprove
18% Strongly disapprove
2% Not sure

* How likely is it that Pat Quinn will be reelected as Governor?

8% Very likely
48% Somewhat likely
28% Not very likely
4% Not at all likely
13% Not sure

* If Quinn runs for re-election as Governor, would you definitely vote for him, definitely vote against him, or would it depend upon who was running against him?

13% Definitely vote for him
23% Definitely vote against him
63% It would depend on who was running against him
2% Not sure

* If anything in this poll gets covered, it’s likely this question…

* To win his appointment to the United States Senate, how likely is it that Roland Burris was involved in unethical pay to play politics?

50% Very likely
27% Somewhat likely
9% Not very likely
2% Not at all likely
12% Not sure

Read the rest of the questions here.

* Rasmussen led its narrative with this, however…

Sixty-one percent (61%) of Illinois voters now say they would definitely vote against Democratic Senator Roland Burris if he runs for a full term in 2010, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state.

That result is up from 54% back in April. Burris was named to the Senate by since-impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich to fill the seat vacated by Barack Obama.

Only six percent (6%) of voters would definitely vote for Burris, while 32% say their vote would depend on who runs against him.

Burris has not yet said whether he intends to seek a full term in the Senate next year, but 74% of Illinois voters say he should not run. Just 13% say he should.