A new poll conducted for Republican Rep. Tim Walberg shows the freshman leading his Democratic opponent by a big margin, but national Democrats have other ideas, as they've made Walberg one of their top targets.

The National Research poll, conducted 7/8-9, surveyed 300 likely voters for a margin of error of +/- 5.7%. Walberg and his likely Democratic rival, State Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer, were tested.

General Election Matchup
Walberg..........47
Schauer..........31

McCain............48
Obama.............37

Walberg beat an underfunded Democrat by just four points in 2006, and this year Schauer has a big bank account and the benefit of DCCC-funded advertising. Schauer's State Senate district also overlaps part of the congressional district, meaning voters have heard his name before.

The eleven points by which John McCain is leading Barack Obama is slightly bigger than the nine points by which President Bush won the district in 2004. Democrats are holding out hope that they can paint Walberg as just too conservative for the area.