Many of us were buoyed by the--at the very least--short-term victory achieved by Senator Chris Dodd when he chose to stand up to Republican "tough guys" and weak-kneed members of his own party on telecom immunity. There was most certainly a lesson there, one I hope many Democrats took to heart.

So let's go to another thing that drives me crazy. When Democrats issue the most ridiculously wimpy statements in response to GOP malfeasance or attacks levied at them by the Cult Party.

In 2006, when Jim Webb ran against George Allen for the Senate, it was so refreshing to see him speak honestly about Allen's disastrous record, not couching it in politicalspeak. And when Allen punched, Webb responded with a roundhouse.

Now, it seems, we have another veteran who believes in speaking like a real person and is obviously willing to fight, literally and rhetorically, for what he believes in.

Meet Lt. Colonel Andrew Horne, and watch what has to be one of the best announcement speeches I've seen, as he has the courage to take on walking campaign cash vacuum cleaner and job outsourcer Mitch McConnell.