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by Bill Katovsky

Barely had Obama finished his Philly speech on race when pundits began anointing it as an important watershed event, an oration destined to wind up some day in American history textbooks. While it's problematic to peer too far forward into the future with much accuracy, like countless others, I too was moved by the force of his words and mesmerized by his incantatory speaking style.

Contrary to Hillary's constant harrumpphing, words do matter. And especially the kind that attempt to peel back the layers of mistrust and apprehension that affect race relations in this country.

Obama clearly transcends, symbolizes, and straddles the black versus white color divide. His ethnic pedigree is both Huck Finn  and the runaway slave Jim floating down the Mississippi of race in America.

America loves a comeback story, and none is greater than former Vice President Al Gore  Having “lost” the controversial 2000 presidential election despite winning the popular vote, many expected Gore to disappear from public life. He did for a little while, but he’s come roaring back with two bestsellers, an Oscar for his global-warming documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” an Emmy for his media start-up Current TV, and as an early outspoken critic of Bush and the Iraq War, he’s led many polls as the individual most Democrats next want to see in the White House.

And he’s not even running for president. Not yet at least. But Gore is full of surprises. He might once again answer the call of duty and public service, and declare himself a candidate. As his friend Steve Jobs said, “We have dug ourselves into a 20-foot hole, and we need somebody who knows how to build a ladder. Al's the guy {to be president.}”

History will determine Bush's ultimate comeuppance. A man this unaware, an Alfred E.Neuman caricature, is impervious to self-reflection, embarrassment, or introspection.  He will vacate the Oval Office with the GOP base in shambles, his reputation tarnished in every quarter save for the delusional salons at Fox News and Weekly Standard.

He will leave Washington with his two terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, and dutiful wife Laura by his side. Pretty much everyone else will be busy that day.

Those who filled their bellies with Dubya's grape Kool-aid will be feeling queasy and faint for a long time. It's up to the Democrats to prolong their agony and political discomfort.

They appear before us in a plethora of dress sizes, ages, ethnicities. Some are more photogenic than others. Some are heiresses who might bail out a floundering campaign. Some are trophy-wife spectacular. Some have their own distinguished careers. One worked for her twice-married GOP hubby-to-be on Capitol Hill.  One is even our ex-president {he'll be called what? First Dude?} Here they stand, shoulder to shoulder --the one exception being the wife of an Ohio congressman -- with their main political squeeze, shimmering in all their partisan pulchritude.

The good news is that Al Qaeda hasn't attacked us on American soil since September 11. The bad news is that Al Qaeda will attack us someday soon.

Based on the recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report with its ominous-sounding title, "The Terrorist Threat to the Homeland," Al Qaeda has regrouped, recruited, and re-energized since the days of Tora Bora when they were on the run.

Because of our epic blunders and bottomless misfortunes in Iraq, Al Qaeda has had a bonanza in attracting jihadis as well as spawning home-grown terrorist cells in places like England.