How do you like them apples?

Matt Stoller spent a few pages on the soapbox earlier. Reminds me a lot of CTG. First, howsabout Atrios sets the scene (with a reference to a Hitchhiker's Guide text-adventure game):

"Do you remember what happened?"

>>Ask voice "What happened?"

"What happened?"

The voice responds "I am sorry to inform you that you were raped and severely beaten. My name is Dr. Lieberman."

>> Ask Dr. Lieberman "Did I receive emergency contraception?"


Dr. Lieberman responds "This hospital does not provide that because of principled reasons. As long as you do something for what you call "principled reasons" you can do anything you want. Fortunately, you live in Connecticut so another hospital is probably a short ride away. I assume, anyway. Ta-ta.

Then Stoller rants. I haven't quoted most of what he said about Lieberman, just the meat of what it all means:

Lieberman is going to get hurt by this primary. Already, Ned Lamont's name recognition among party activists is high, and that's because of the blogs. People know his name. They know he's challenging Lieberman. That's a huge step. It's what we've bought with our $90K so far. And if we can pump this over $100K, it will be a massive statement to insiders that Lieberman is going to have to face some angry Democratic voters, and if they don't shape up, so will they.

Already we are known as the only equivalent to the Club for Growth on the left. I don't know about the parallel, but lazy people who call themselves members of the House Democratic caucus do have reason to fear us, because we tell the truth. We are pointing out that Feingold, a real leader, is actually showing that Democrats can and do fight. And we are pointing out that all the lazy progressives, who won't file ethics complaints, and all the centrist fools, who keep pretending that being lied to on Iraq is somehow strong, are being stupid incumbent middle managers. We are also proving that ordinary Democrats, ordinary people, can make a huge difference. For crying out loud, pick either Glenn Greenwald, Mike Stark, John Aravosis, Melanie Sloan, or Jane Hamsher, and any one is more effective than 10 Democratic Congresscritters.

It's ridiculous. This party is going to be reinvented, and we are going to do it, because we are doing it. Who attacked McCain first? We did. Who is will to take on sacred cows like Obama and Pelosi? We are. Who calls out Chris Matthews and Tim Russert, day after day? We do. Who built a web resource to get around the incompetence of the WHO on Avian Flu? We did. Dean is sitting in that DNC chair because of the netroots.

If you want to see what Stoller thinks of Lieberman, go read it. I'm reminded of Kent, from King Lear, when he calls Oswald one of these:

A knave, a rascal, an eater of broken meats; a base, proud, shallow, beggarly, three-suited, lily-livered, action-taking, whoreson, glass-glazing, superserviceable, finical rogue; one-trunk-inheriting slave; one that wouldst be a baws in way of good service... one whom I will beat into clamorous whining if thou deniest the least syllable of thy addition.

Shakespeare clearly didn't care for the Senator's Joementum.