While Listening to the BBC World News Last Night

I realized how much Ned Lamont's victory truly matters, and not only for those of us who were rooting for him all along. Among all those weighty and worrisome news about Lebanon and Israel and Africa, the newsreader's clipped English voice suddenly stated: "And in the Democrrratic Prrrimarrry of the Amerrrican State of Connecticut,..." That's how much this victory matters.

I'm talking about its mythical significance, of course, or its meaning. A different and saner debate might, just might, be possible at last. We can now point out that bipartisanship doesn't mean turning into a blind sheep in the administration's flock, just as approaching the center of the bed doesn't mean jumping over your partner and hugging the other side. We can start a real debate about what fighting terrorism entails to keep us all safe, and how to do it without turning the international politics of this country into the best recruiting aid AlQaeda ever dreamt about. Or so I hope.

We all know that the Connecticut race is not over and may not be pretty. But the real significance of Lamont's win is this: the reawakening of American democracy.

Back to earth. What next in the race? Digby has some ideas, and so do Michael Tomasky, Arianna Huffington and Kevin Drum. Even Karl Rove seems to have some ideas...

And Reed Hundt reminds us of the necessity of money to fund the struggle for ideals and progress.