Poll: Santorum approval rating declines

Sen. Rick Santorum (news, bio, voting record)'s approval rating has skidded to a four-year low, the latest sign of distress for the outspoken conservative and ally of President Bush, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The lead for Santorum's Democratic opponent, state Treasurer Bob Casey, has stretched to 18 percentage points since early May.

Casey leads Santorum by 52 percent to 34 percent — the biggest margin since October, when the numbers were the same, according to the Quinnipiac University poll.

Only 38 percent of respondents said they approved of the way Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate, is handling his job. Forty-five percent said they disapproved and 16 percent did not express an opinion.

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