As reported in the sporting journal The Forward, Pepe showed consummate skill in goading El Toro Peligroso into a stamping, snorting rage that made for effective political sport. Striding confidently into the bullring, Pepe waved his red cape and gained exactly the response he sought, an angry letter from El Toro Peligroso. The Forward said,

Sharpton was responding to comments made by Lieberman at a private fund-raiser in New York on October 4, during which the senator reportedly said that “to some extent you’ve got to judge people by their friends,” and characterized Sharpton’s appearance at Lamont’s side on primary night as “a remarkable moment.”

El Toro Peligroso could have tossed his noble shaggy head, twitched his tail, and trotted off to green pastures to munch clover and dandy among the cows. But that would not preserve his sacred honor. Instead, he roared and charged. This let Pepe gracefully execute many smart turns with the cape while avoiding the sharp points of El Toro Peligroso's mighty horns. One of Pepe's trusted picadors told the Forward,

In response to Sharpton’s letter, a Lieberman spokesperson lashed out at Lamont, who is currently trailing the senator by 10 percentage points, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released September 28.

“These are extreme and divisive attacks from one of the Ned Lamont’s closest advisors,” said Tammy Sun in an interview with the Forward. “Once again, Ned Lamont is demonstrating his lack of interest in providing voters with new ideas and instead offering only more of the same negativity.”

The encounter proved entertaining but not lethal to any party. Waving happily, Pepe moved to the next challenge as he basked in the adulation of Republican and independent sports fans, El Toro Peligroso held fast to his honor, and El Gringo Rico remained above the fray, content to write checks ($2 million in recent days, according to El Globo de Boston) to his campaign to stay viable in the bullring.