In the debate, Lieberman cast himself as a business-as-usual politician, stressing his seniority, the benefits he has won for the state with his 18-year incumbency and his comfort with the Senate’s folkways.

Lamont may be a political novice. But apart from a shaky start under Lieberman’s attacks, he successfully portrayed himself as a knowledgeable reformer unwilling to play along with a system that ensures that once elected, incumbents like Lieberman can keep their seat for life.

For his part, Lamont needed to show people he could be a senator. He cleared that jump but with a style so earnest and highly caffeinated that the bar rattled some as he went over. He gained composure by the end of the debate, nearing parity with Lieberman, no small feat for a first-timer.

However much he invests in the next four weeks, expect a different Joe Lieberman to show himself. That usually pious demeanor may keep the spiky edge revealed in the debate. The campaign has been polling on themes. Specifically, themes meant to deflate the rising Ned Lamont. They've even been asking voters if they would be less likely to support Lamont if they knew he got a hybrid vehicle after announcing he would run for the Senate.

What a long way Joe Lieberman has fallen in a short time. From expert on international affairs and world peace to taking an inventory of Ned Lamont's garage. He's starting to look like roadkill.

Most reasonable Democrats, like me, have somewhat forgiven the senators who voted for the authorization to go to war, even though at the time it was plain as day that Bush was hellbent on war, no matter what, and they were idiots for not seeing that.... But Joe Lieberman is a different case: Lieberman carried, and continues to carry, water for George Bush, and that is morally and politically repugnant to us.