Defeat Joe in 2012, but...

I agree with this sentiment. But if the campaign to unseat Joe is based primarily on revenge then it will fail, just as the campaign to take the Homeland Security gavel away from him failed.

People (usually) don't vote against someone to get revenge on them. They vote for someone who will do a better job. Lamont won the primary in 2006 because he made a convincing argument to Dems that he would be a better Democrat. But he failed to make the case to the Connecticut voters at large that he would make a better Senator.

Let's beat Joe. But let's be smart about it.