Rasmussen Reports is out with a new U.S. Senate poll, which shows Al Franken has clawed back within two percentage points of Norm Coleman. Last month, Coleman led Franken 50-43; now, the margin is 47-45.

Rasmussen says Coleman's margin among "unaffiliated" voters has slid from 18 points to 9, and Franken benefits from more Democrats in the state. There may be an Obama effect: the Illinois senator tops John McCain in the same poll 53-38. The 500-person survey's margin of sampling error is a hefty 4.5 percentage points, plus or minus.

Rasmussen apparently did not ask about the campaign's other major DFLer, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.

An intriguing datapoint: Rasmussen finds Franken and Coleman equally polarizing. Coleman's favorable-unfavorable is 49-49; Franken's is 47-49, though the DFLer has more die-hard haters and fewer unabashed fans than Norm.

If you're a Republican, the good news is Franken is as hated as a guy who until recently has been a loyal Bush foot soldier. If you're a Franken backer, the good news is all the negative publicity of the last month hasn't doomed your guy's chances. This poll may play into electability arguments at the June 6-8 state DFL convention.

The survey was taken May 22, after days of reports on Franken's tax troubles. (Hat tip: MPR's Polinaut.)