Obama to appear at Milwaukee rally as lead widens

MADISON, Wis. — President Barack Obama plans to host a rally on the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee on Saturday as a new poll shows his lead in the state is widening.

The Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday shows Obama with a 51 percent to 45 percent lead over Republican Mitt Romney. The poll of 1,485 likely voters conducted Sept. 11 through Monday has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Obama has widened his lead in the state from the previous Quinnipiac poll done in August which showed him about even with Romney at 49 percent to 47 percent.

Obama’s appearance Saturday in Milwaukee for a private fundraiser and the rally at Summerfest marks his first stop in Wisconsin since February.