Poll: Barrett 49, Walker 49, independents breaking to Barrett.

The good news, according to the Washington Post's Greg Sargent:

A new poll taken by pollster Celinda Lake — who is a Democrat but is well respected by polling professionals — has found that the battle between Scott Walker and challenger Tom Barrett is now deadlocked, at 49 percent each.

The poll — which will be released later today and was comissioned by the pro-labor Greater Wisconsin Committee’s political fund — also finds that independents are breaking towards Barrett, 49-44.

The poll is an automated one (which means it doesn’t include cell phones) that surveyed 600 likely Wisconsin voters from May 24-28, which means it was in the field until Monday of this week. Its sample: 43 percent Democrats and Dem-leaners; 43 percent Republican and GOP-leaners; and 13 percent non-leaning independents.

Today’s poll is reinforced by another internal survey released last week by the labor-backed group We Are Wisconsin, which also found a dead heat.

The bad news:

jsonline: Gov. Scott Walker leads Democrat Tom Barrett 52% to 45% in a poll to be released Wednesday by Marquette Law School.

Walker’s lead is almost identical in the new poll to what it was in Marquette’s early May survey, when Walker led 50% to 44% among likely voters.

The public likes Scott Walker:

Walker’s job approval in the new poll is almost identical to his job rating in the first 2012 poll Marquette did five months ago in January, when 51% approved and 46% disapproved.

In the new survey, 41% of voters viewed Barrett positively, while 46% viewed him negatively.

Also in the new poll, Democratic President Barack Obama leads Republican Mitt Romney 51% to 43%, after being tied with Romney in Marquette's early May poll.