The Maryland Dem primary -- the contest to see who gets to take on Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R) for the seat being vacated by Paul Sarbanes -- is kicking into high gear, and man, is this race worth watching.

It's got more than 15 candidates and over a third of Dem voters undecided with five weeks until primary day; it's the first contested Senate race in Maryland in decades; and the prize is a Senate seat that absolutely must be retained by Dems if they're going to have any hope of taking control of the Senate.