The party line on Michael Steele is that he has too thin a record to serve in the U.S. Senate, which I guess is what you have to say when your candidate is a ten-term D.C. insider. Barack Obama isn’t above aiming at that target as well, but he also would seem to hit himself, both as a Senate candidate two years ago and as presidential tinder now:

"We want to take a look at who has a track record, [someone who] doesn’t just talk the talk, doesn’t just look good on TV, doesn’t just have a pretty smile, but somebody who has actually done the work and showed backbone."

Hmm.

Update: For more on the hotly contested Maryland campaign(s), go here, here, and here. The African-American vote is in play in the Free State because of something vaguely resembling compassionate conservatism, and because Democrats have for too long taken the African-American community for granted.