[img_assist|nid=839|title=U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Hyannis Port)|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=200|height=206]As the Democratic National Committee Convention prepares to pay tribute to U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, a new Rasmussen Reports poll finds him to be one of the most popular members of his party with the entire American public.

Excluding U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), the national poll shows that Massachusetts' senior senator has the third best approval rating of the top Democrats in the country, with 50 percent rating him favorable and 45 percent unfavorable.

Former President Jimmy Carter (D-Ga.) is the most popular Democrat in the nation. 61 percent give him a favorable rating while 36 percent give him an unfavorable rating. Former Vice President Al Gore finishes second, 52 percent favorable to 45 percent unfavorable.

Kennedy has been a lightning rod for Republicans over the decades, the frequent boogeyman of attack ads in conservative states. And those feelings persist, with 53 percent of Republicans polled saying they have a 'very unfavorable' view of the senator.

In May,Kennedy suffered a seizure in the middle of May that was caused by a malignant brain tumor. He has undergone surgery to remove the tumor and recently completed a six-week phase of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.