In what some see as a crisis-management PR move, Michael Steele sat down with GQ for a long interview that begins with his love for Snoop Dogg; conceivably contradicts his threats to campaign against moderate GOP by talking about how Republicans need to open the tent; and ends discussing the stylish way he tucks his t-shirt into his pajamas. Somewhere in between he has some interesting—and potentially controversial—things to say about state rights and their role in gay marriage and abortion (some of which he has alread backed off on). And before we get to more news-y items, here’s an interesting look at how Facebook (like social networks generally) is coming to resemble a democracy, which opens interesting ideas about how such networks will affect campaigning. Now, the news:
As mentioned yesterday, polls in NY-20 show Democrat Scott Murphy gaining on opponent Jim Tedisco. But Kirsten Gillibrand, whose nomination to the Senate led to the special election in the district, may end up having to fight her own party to be reelected. Sen. Russ Feingold thinks maybe she shouldn’t be in the Senate at all at all, and wants to add a Constitutional amendment requiring all senators be elected. The polls that inspired the Rush Limbaugh attack have been released by Democracy Corps. Cillizza analyzes. Other polls are better for the GOP: Republican candidates lead in polls for two potential Senate races in the northeast, a region that in November looked solidly blue. A hacker has stolen credit card data from Coleman’s campaign. Mayor Bloomberg has turned his campaign over to a former Blagojevich aide.