OK, the debate.

Despite The Malcontent's pledge to avoid the debate (mindless pageantry! yet another meaningless spectacle!), all eyes were on CNN last night at La Casa de los Malcontents.

Here in The Nation's Crapitol...I mean, CAPitol...everyone seems to be endlessly parsing the debate. Who won? What did it mean? What about W's expression? What about Kerry's message? Blah, blah, blabbity, blab, blab.

But there was one thing on TV last night that was new. Something that you haven't seen before.

It was this: you saw someone--in this case Senator John Kerry--holding the President accountable for his actions--for his lies, half-truths, incompetencies, and inactions.

And since this President never allows anyone near him to question his actions, to contradict his inanities, to call him out on his blatant lies, or to criticize his clear failings as a leader--well, the debate was a real, breaking, television moment.

As this President only allows scripted questions from the faithful, avoids the press, and personally disparages people who dare to question any leader's decisions (other than those cats in the Axis of Evil), it is probably the first time IN YEARS such a thing has happened.

It was actually not the same old, same old--it was the news. And, well, I'll be! I'm glad I watched.