Minnesota voters like the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats more than most voters nationwide, but so far that's not changing their view of new Democratic Senator Al Franken, a strong supporter of the plan.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in Minnesota finds that 46% approve of the health care plan, while 51% oppose it. That's higher support for the plan than is found nationally. But as in much of the country, the emotion's on the side of the opponents: Those who strongly oppose the plan outnumber those who strongly favor it by more than two-to-one - 43% to 20%.

In September, Minnesota voters were evenly divided over the plan. Half of voters (50%) in the state at least somewhat approve of the job Franken is doing, including 25% who strongly approve. These figures are unchanged from a survey conducted in November.

Forty-seven percent (47%) now disapprove of Franken's performance, up just two points over the past two months. But 36% strongly disapprove, compared to 29% in November.

So far, this year's race for governor of Minnesota is shaping up as the battle of the ex-senators - Democrat Mark Dayton and Republican Norm Coleman, who lost a highly contested race to Franken in 2008.

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One of the sticking points in the debate over the health care plan is that most American already have health coverage that they like, and they worry that they will be forced to change that coverage.

Minnesota voters with health insurance are evenly divided over Franken's job performance: 48% approve, and 48% disapprove. While 24% in this group strongly approve, however, 38% strongly disapprove.

Among those who don't have health insurance in Minnesota though, 74% approve of Franken's performance, with 42% who strongly approve. Just 27% disapprove, including only seven percent (7%) who strognly disapprove.

Only 13% of Minnesota Republicans and 39% of voters not affiliated with either major party approve of the hrealth care plan, compared to 82% of Democrats.

Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Democratic voters in the state approve of Franken's job performance, a view shared by 46% of unaffiliateds and just 13% of Republicans.

Minnesota voters are narrowly divided over whether states should have the right to opt out of the national health care plan if it passes Congress: 43% say yes, 41% say no. This is slightly less support for opting-out than is found nationally.

Like the rest of the country, most Minnesota voters (58%) name cost as the biggest problem of the current health care system. Just 24% name lack of universal coverage, while 10% say quality of care is the biggest problem.

Fifty-four percent (54%) in Minnesota oppose a single-payer health care system, while 35% support one. This roughly in line with national views on the issue.

The new survey also finds that fewer Minnesota voters would be willing to vote for current Governor Tim Pawlenty if he runs as the Republican nominee for president in 2012. Just 37% now say they would vote for him in 2012, down from 42% in November. Forty-six percent (46%) say they would not votefor Pawlenty in 2012.

The plurality (43%) says Pawlenty's potential run for the presidency has had a negative impact on the job he's been doing as governor. Just 22% say it has had a positive impact, while another 26% say it has had no impact.

Still, most (53%) approve of the job Pawlenty is doing as governor, showing virtually no change since the last survey. Forty-four percent (44%) disapprove of his job performance. These numbers include 25% who strongly approve and 28% who strongly disapprove.

In the wake of the Christmas Day terrorist bombing attempt on a U.S. airliner, 44% of voters in Minnesota believe the U.S. legal system worries too much about protecting individual rights when it comes to national security. Only 17% say the legal system worries too much about national security. Those results are consistent with those found on the national level.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) say the United States and its allies are winning the war on terror, but 27% say the terrorists are winning. Twenty-six percent (26%) see it as a draw. This is a more optimistic assessment than voters have nationally.

Forty-six percent (46%) of Minnesota voters rate Obama's handling of the situation in Afghanistan as good or excellent. Twenty-five percent (25%) say he is doing a poor job. Twenty-eight percent (28%) believe the situation in Afghanistan will get better in the next six months, but 34% say it will getworse. Twenty-two percent (22%) expect it to stay about the same. This, too, is more optimistic than voters feel nationally.

Candidate Obama carried Minnesota over John McCain with 54% of the vote in 2008, and 52% of the state's voters approve of the job the president is doing, including 36% who strongly approve. Forty-eight percent (48%) disapprove, with 39% who strongly disapprove. This is a higher level of approval than Obama receives in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll.

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