U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton holds an an 8-point lead over U.S. Sen. Barack Obama among likely Rhode Island Democratic presidential primary voters, a Brown University poll released this morning found, as the state gears up for what looks like an increasingly vital March 4 primary.

Those results were based on a survey of 474 voters who indicated they were "very likely to participate" in the Democratic primary. It has a margin of error of about plus or minus five percentage points.

If the primary were today, 36 percent of the voters said they would likely vote for Clinton compared to 28 percent for Obama. Twenty-seven percent said they would vote the "uncommitted" line on the ballot, while 9 percent said they were undecided.

That puts Obama up from where a September poll had him. At that time, 35 percent of likely voters indicated support for Clinton and 16 percent for Obama.

John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Bill Richardson, Christopher Dodd, and Dennis Kucinick were still in the Democratic primary race at that time, and each received single-digit support in that poll; they are not in the new poll.

The overall poll was based on 739 registered voters in Rhode Island and had a margin of error of about plus or minus 4 percentage points. It was conducted done Feb. 9-10 by Darrell M. West, director of Brown University's Taubman Center for Public Policy and the John Hazen White Sr. Public Opinion Laboratory.

If the presidential election were today, the poll found that voters would support Clinton over Republican John McCain by 43 percent to 32 percent -- a decrease from the 55 percent to 26 percent margin in the September poll for that matchup.

Were it Obama vs. McCain, the new poll found 42 percent supporting the Democrat and 30 percent for McCain.

Meanwhile, President Bush's approval rating sank still lower in Rhode Island, with 14 percent saying they believe he's doing a good job compared to 16 percent in the September poll.

The Ocean State's congressional representation, all Democrats, drew better results -- except for Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

Sixty-two percent said Sen. Jack Reed's performance was good or excellent, up from 61 percent in the previous survey.

Forty-four percent said they belive Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is doing a good or excellent job, an increase from 41 percent last time.

Fifty-five percent said Rep. James Langevin is doing a good or excellent job, the same as in the previous poll.

Forty-five percent said Kennedy is doing a good or excellent job, a decrease from 51 percent in September's poll.

Among statewide offices, the governor's and lieutenant governor's job approval dropped while the attorney general's, treasurer's and secretary of state's improved.

And the poll found a strong majority of Rhode Islanders feel the state is going wrong, even more th in the last poll: Just 16 percent of people believe Rhode Island is going in the right direction while 74 percent said it is headed on the wrong track.

Governor Carcieri's job approval dropped to 40 percent of those polled saying he was doing a good job from 44 percent in September.

Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts approval is at 30 percent, down from 37 percent in September who said she was doing a good job.

Fifty percent felt Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is doing a good job, up from 48 percent in September.

Twenty-five percent said Secretary of State Ralph Mollis was doing a good job, up from 23 percent.

Forty percent said Treasurer Frank Caprio Jr. is doing a good job, compared to 37 percent in the previous sampling.

At the legislative level, approval ratings dropped even lower. House Speaker William J. Murphy drew 19 percent saying he was doing a good job, down from 21 percent, while Senate President Joseph Montalbano got 15 percent, a drop from 16 percent.

Fifty-one percent of those polled said Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline is doing a good job, compared to 64 percent saying so in the previous poll.

People also weighed in how to tackle the state's projected budget deficit.

Fifty-two percent said they supported laying off state employees, with 36 percent opposed and 12 percent saying they don't know or not answering.

As for an increase in the state income tax, 22 percent supported it while 71 percent opposed it. Seven percent didn't know or didn't answer.

Raising the state sales tax?Twenty-three percent supported it while 70 percent opposed it and seven percent didn't know or didn't answer.

Raising the capital gains tax? Forty-two percent supported it while 43 percent opposed it and 15 percent didn't know or didn't answer.

Raising income taxes on high-wage earners? Sixty-one percent support it while 31 percent opposed it and 8 percent didn't know or didn't answer.

Reducing aid to cities/towns? Twenty-eight percent supported it while 60 percent opposed it and 12 percent didn't know or didn't answer.