THIS IS AS CLOSE AS I GOT to Barack Obama the other night at Independence Mall in front of the Constitution Center. But this was pretty cool. In fact the whole deal was petty cool. It was like Dr. King speaking. "I dream of a moment when black people and white people can stand together, shoulder to shoulder, hour after hour, on a picture perfect April evening in Philadelphia, waiting, waiting, waiting, without getting angry,"

It was kind of like that. I mean, when was the last time you spent three hours standing shoulder to shoulder with someone, lots of someones, you've never met before?

What, last week?

Well it's still new to me.