Heard in the Hall

Inquirer columnist Monica Yant Kinney reports that Nutter was yukking it up at this morning's Independence Historical National Park Service dedication of the "People's Plaza," a new $268,000 granite space at Independence National Park dedicated for groups to demonstrate and celebrate the ever-important First Amendment.

After speaking about the power of free speech - "You never know what you might learn if you listen to other people" - Nutter turned his attention to a Park Service maintenance staffer named Steve Murphy, who won a department-wide contest by coming up with the name, "People's Plaza."

"To Steve, by the power vested in me, you have the rest of the day off," Nutter said, to laughter and shivers at the outdoor event. "Of course, I have nothing to do with the National Park Service."

Following Nutter, Joe Torsella, president of the Constitution Center, said his staff would be watching closely to see whether Murphy indeed got the day off, to see if our system of "checks and balances" actually works.

It does.

"He's getting a day off, but not today, said Park Service spokeswoman Jane Cowley, noting that this way he'll get an entire day off, not just part of it. The Park Service had already planned on giving Murphy a free day, she said, but Nutter sort of moved it along.