Senator Chris Dodd trails Republican challenger Rob Simmons by 9 points in a new Quinnipiac poll

The numbers show a continued slump in popularity for the powerful Senator – who’s leading efforts to get President Obama’s health care reform passed – while still chairing the banking committee.

More than half of those surveyed said Dodd is not honest and trustworthy – they cite his close ties to the financial services industry as the economy suffers.

Today, where we live, we’ll talk with Senator Dodd.

We’ll also welcome back our team of state capitol watchers. At the start of this month, they joined us to talk about the “tough choices” surrounding the state budget. Now, there’s still no budget – several of Governor Rell’s vetoes have been overridden, and we’re facing another month of funding by “executive order.”