Still deliriously happy over the course of events over the past 24 hours...and still bitterly disappointed in my fellow Nutmeg State residents over their failure to see through Holy Joe's shtick. The re-election of Joe Lieberman has consequences, not the least of which is that a promising newcomer named Ned Lamont fell short of a position wherein he could have done so much good for Connecticut and the nation.
So yeah, despite the overall good news, I'm looking for silver linings in my own backyard, which also re-elected Chris Shays, though by a margin of victory even smaller than the one he eked out in 2004.
It's not too hard to connect these dots, and urge Ned Lamont to run for Chris Shays' Congressional seat in 2008.
The Lamont family is undoubtedly asleep today, or in seclusion, or both. But when they reappear, I'm hopeful they'll consider taking a run at the House of Representatives instead of the U.S. Senate.
The reasons are several. For starters, Lieberman won't be up for re-election for another six years (GOD, it pains me to write that!). And it makes little to no sense to contemplate a primary run at Chris Dodd, with whom Lamont has no quarrel, political or otherwise.
An election to the House would satisfy Ned's critics who claimed that he lacked the experience to be a U.S. Senator. Four years representing the 4th CD in Connecticut would give ample opportunity for Ned to show what he's made of (at least to those who don't already see it).
A Lamont candidacy might be the final nail in the coffin of Chris Shays, who has survived two tough elections in a row now. Perhaps the third time would be the charm for Diane Farrell...or perhaps the answer lies elsewhere. Lamont's appeal might well carry him across the finish line and enable him to close a deal that Farrell, and Stephanie Sanchez before her, couldn't quite close.
So by all means, let's celebrate our victories and revel in the overall accomplishment of a dominant win for the Democratic party. But in the not too distant future, Ned...give us a call. We'll answer.