Mr. Hikind Goes To Washington Apparently Borough Park Assemblymember Dov Hikind is more valuable to President Clinton and Senator-elect Hillary Clinton than he is to Public Advocate Mark Green. Hikind and his wife have been invited to a private lunch with the president and first lady on Tuesday at the White House, according to sources. The Hikinds will then participate in a ceremonial Menorah lighting. The invite is a sign of gratitude from the Clintons for Hikind's controversial non-endorsement in Hillary Clinton's senate race. Hikind bucked popular sentiment among Orthodox Jews in his district and declined to endorse Rick Lazio, even going so far as offering tacit support for Clinton. Prior to his decision, Clinton aides had feared that Hikind would harshly criticize Clinton on the issue of Israel, damaging her lukewarm support among Jews. They counted his non-endorsement as a key victory with respect to the Jewish electorate. A spokesperson for Hikind declined to confirm or deny the White House engagement, and a spokesperson for the first lady did not return calls seeking comment.

But while the Clintons are welcoming Hikind into their home, Green isn't too eager to woo the Borough Park official. In fact, judging from Green's bald-faced snub of Hikind, who is used to being courted like the lone bell at the ball, Green has zero interest in currying Hikind's favor for a prospective mayoral run. Last week, after returning from a trip to Israel, Hikind began raising funds to purchase bulletproof vests and helmets for Israeli medics who need to enter crossfire to reach the wounded. The gear, which is reinforced to protect against machine guns, runs $1,200 per set. But the steep price seemed a pittance to several politicos eyeing higher office next year, who are eager to gain Hikind's support and the votes it may bring from Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewry, as well as the impression such a gesture would make on the state's larger Jewish electorate.

Within 10 days, Hikind had raised enough money for 55 vests and helmets. The list of those who anted up reads like a who's who of political aspirants, including Councilmember Herb Berman and Board of Ed President William Thompson (both candidates for comptroller), Councilmembers Ken Fisher and Stephen DiBrienza (borough president and public advocate, respectively), state Comptroller H. Carl McCall (governor), city Comptroller Alan Hevesi (mayor), Council Speaker Peter Vallone (mayor), and Bronx Borough President Freddie Ferrer (mayor).

Hikind said that he wasn't sure whether the other prospective gubernatorial candidate, HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, had been asked. Green, however, was most definitely asked, and was the only mayoral candidate to decline. Hikind would not discuss Green's decision, but he did offer this tidbit about his endeavor: "I sort of thought to myself, what can I do of a concrete nature that would really be helpful? The message out there is that everyone should do what I'm doing in their own way."

Green's office released the following statement: "No one is a stronger supporter of the state of Israel than the public advocate. He and his family were there just a few years ago to celebrate his son's bar mitzvah. He is happy that others have chosen to contribute to this charity. Mark has regularly contributed to a number of other charities that aid Israel." His feelings about Israel aside, it's safe to say that Green has wiped out any chance he had of garnering Hikind's support, which was a long shot to begin with. But now, Green will probably not be able to neutralize Hikind as Clinton was able to do in her Senate race.

Hikind and his wife also purchased a vest and helmet, as did several other elected officials not running for higher office, including Borough President Howard Golden and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who purchased two apiece. Hikind, an opponent of the peace process, is calling the vests "peace vests." "It's sort of to deal with the irony that this is what peace has brought us. It's sort of a sad commentary," he said.

Gadson Turnout Shaky Deputy Borough President Jeannette Gadson may have the backing of Borough President Howard Golden and County Leader Clarence Norman, but some have questioned her ability to raise the money needed to compete with other candidates for borough president. The scant showing at Gadson's December 12 fundraiser will only raise the volume of those whispers. The event, billed "Women for Gadson," drew no more than 35 people at any particular time, said one source. The star, Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, didn't show up. Fields addressed the crowd through a speakerphone. "In the political business and the fund raising business, when you have an event like you paper the room with people. You tell 20 friends to come by because need to fill the room," said the source.

But Liz Abzug, Gadson's consultant, said that the event went well. Over the course of the night, she said, 100 people showed up. "People came early and left. Rounds and shifts were coming in," said Abzug. Others who were not able to attend sent checks. One problem was simple enough: bad scheduling. The Gadson event was slated for the same evening as the State Democratic Party holiday party. There were also several other fundraisers that evening, including one for Bronx Borough President Freddie Ferrer. Abzug said that attendees included Councilmember Annette Robinson, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblymember Al Vann. She declined to say how much money the event raised, as the checks are still coming in, she said.

Ready To Rumble While the Washington suits put on their most serene smile and chant the word "bipartisan" as if it was their mantra, the Working Families Party is bearing its knuckles at any Democrat willing to compromise on core issues. Last week, the WFP released a rather vitriolic statement calling for the equivalent of a political antifadah over the next four years. "With the end of the election has come the inevitable call from the punditocracy for bipartisanship, compromise and conciliation. We firmly reject this view. We believe it is the responsibility of Democrats and progressives to do everything possible to ensure that George Bush, his right-wing Congressional allies, and his policies, fail. We see no purpose in conciliatory statements. It is not a time to compromise our principles. It is time to prepare for a fight," said the statement.

If that sounds a little too harsh, WFP Executive Director Dan Cantor says that the statement is a call to keep Democratic and progressive issues on the front burner. "We're not saying we want to go back and argue about the voting in Florida. This is a statement about how to organize in the coming years," he said. "The calls for bipartisanship and pulling together, we have to ask, pulling together for what? Our view is that any Democrat or progressive who says, 'Oh, yeah, we need to pull together,' is utterly deluded. We need to just say no."

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