Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D), who is expected to announce his candidacy for Senate in Connecticut Wednesday afternoon, would lead all of the Republicans in the field by at least 30 points according to a recent survey from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling.Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) announced today that he was stepping aside for re-election in 2010 in wake of, among other things, his poor political standing in his home state after serving almost 30 years. Similar surveys showed Dodd trailing every Republican in the race, and Blumenthal’s bid makes this seat once again safe for Democrats.That’s because Blumenthal is uncannily popular in the Nutmeg State with 59 percent of survey respondents saying they have a favorable opinion of him, according to the automated PPP survey taken Jan. 4-5. Even Republicans had a favorable view of him with 37 percent, compared to 35 percent of GOP respondents who had an unfavorable view.In a hypothetical matchup, Blumenthal led former Rep. Rob Simmons (R), 59 percent to 28 percent, and led former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon, 63 percent to 23 percent.“It would take an epic collapse for him not to be Connecticut’s next Senator,— said Tom Jensen, the director of the Democratic-leaning survey firm.The same survey showed Dodd with a 29 percent approval rating, with 57 percent of Connecticut voters disapproving of him. Dodd trailed Simmons in the last 11 public polls, 40 to 44 percent, and was tied with McMahon at 43 percent.