That’s the rumor flying around, as Carla Marinucci reports:

State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner’s camp is having a telephone press conference this afternoon to talk new poll numbers amid lots of buzz from insiders that — after being 40 points behind former eBay CEO Meg Whitman  — he has now dramatically narrowed the gap, some even suggest to single digits.

So far, no public polls on that and some Dem insiders are pushing the idea happily. Still, if Poizner has seriously cut into her lead, here’s the follow-up question: how much more money is he willing to sink into this race with 34 days left? Some GOPers suggest $15 million is the figure needed to get him through.

Insiders and analysts on both sides of the aisle say if Poiz really has narrowed the gap dramatically, factors at work here are Goldman Sachs — and Poizner’s latest attack ad, “Vulture,” which we hear is taking down Meg’s numbers.

As Brian Leubitz predicted, the Vulture ad appears to be having the intended effect, primarily because it is damningly accurate about Meg Whitman’s connections to Goldman Sachs. She represents the investment banking class that has destroyed our economy and left millions of Californians in unemployment and in foreclosure.

Californians don’t want that kind of leadership. Belatedly, but apparently effectively, Steve Poizner has realized that fact and appears to have been successful in eroding Whitman’s formidable lead in the polls.

Will it be enough to overcome Whitman, who is hitting back with everything she’s got in a TV ad war that is increasingly dominating the airwaves? Will Republican primary voters be swayed?

We’ll find out when the next independent, public polls come out. In any case, pass the popcorn. This is gonna be fun.