Poll: Battleground districts back stimulus

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Voters in the 20 most competitive Democratic-held congressional districts favor the economic stimulus plan passed by the U.S. House, a poll indicates.

The Democracy Corps survey found that 62 percent of voters in the 20 most competitive districts favor the $819 billion stimulus plan, The Hill reported Friday.

"I think that this bill and its conference … will be the defining vote of this Congress," said Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg, who conducted the poll.

Greenberg said lawmakers' votes for the stimulus package were akin in importance to members' votes for the economic package proposed by then-President Bill Clinton early in his administration, in terms of their impact on congressional midterm elections.

The poll also found that voters in the competitive districts said they supported the Obama administration, with 54 percent of respondents saying they approved of the way Obama has handled his job, and 18 percent disapproving.

The survey of voters in the battleground districts was conducted Jan. 14-19. The margin of error was not reported.