Connections Aren't Everything It appears that Assemblymember Clarence Norman's work on behalf of state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's successful campaign was not enough to dissuade Spitzer from entering the fray surrounding allegations of a patronage system between the Brooklyn Democratic Party and the boroughís courts. Last Thursday, Spitzer filed a motion in Brooklyn Supreme Court asking Judge Richard Huttner to remove attorney Ravi Batra as receiver for the Cypress Hills Cemetery, and appoint a new receiver in Batra's place. Batra's role as receiver first came into question when a letter written by lawyers Arnold Ludwig and Thomas Garry became public. In the letter, Garry and Ludwig resigned their position on the Kings County Democratic Law Committee because, they said, Batra was cutting them out of legal fees on lucrative court appointments, chief of which was the cemetery. The letter, first reported here, described in near uncertain terms a patronage system involving the Brooklyn Democratic Party and the Brooklyn courts based on "unquestioned loyalty to the Party."

Norman, the county leader, is Of Counsel to Batra's law firm. Chief judge Judith Kaye has ordered a statewide investigation of the allegations, established a permanent office to oversee fiduciary appointments and is piecing together a blue ribbon panel to examine the current rules governing those appointments. "We feel that public confidence has been eroded because of various reports of what's been going on with the cemetery and the legal work being done there," said Scott Brown, a spokesperson for Spitzer. "We feel it's best for the cemetery and the lot owners that there be a fresh start."

The irony is that Norman worked seriously to help Spitzer get elected. Additionally, Carl Andrews, who was Norman's right hand man and his district leader, was hired as Spitzer's head of intergovernmental relations when Spitzer took office in January of 1999. "Eliot Spitzer is the attorney general and he has to do what he feels is appropriate," said Norman. Norman has steadfastly denied the existence of a patronage system. "Ravi Batra is a person who I know is above reproach. The judge will decide what his disposition is."

Brown said that Spitzer's motion was not meant to imply that there is truth in the allegations. "We donít know whether there's any substance to the allegations or not," he said. Brown said that the receivership is due to end in four to six months, and that Spitzer was requesting a new receiver for that duration. The attorney general's office has been overseeing the operation of the cemetery since 1993. The receivership is worth approximately $60,000 per year, in addition to the legal fees that Garry and Ludwig said Batra was denying them and hoarding himself. Huttner, who originally appointed Batra as receiver of the property, will rule this week. Batra did not return a call seeking comment.

Midnight Run Councilmember Ken Fisher got a few goosebumps as he and his 14-year-old daughter Penelope stood on the runway at LaGuardia Airport to greet Vice President Al Gore upon Gore's arrival to New York last week. ìIíve been doing politics since I was a little kid and Iíve met candidates for President before, but standing on the runway at one o'clock in the morning was pretty exciting even for a veteran like me," said Fisher. Fisher and kin were joined on the runway by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and actor Billy Baldwin, among others. Fisher said that the crowd numbered over 400 despite the 20-degree weather. "(Gore) and Tipper and Karenna were completely pumped," said Fisher. "You could see their faces light up when they saw the crowd." Goreís campaign has picked up momentum in recent months, buoyed by a victory in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Former Senator Bill Bradley recently admitted that he needed a big win in the Super Tuesday primaries on March 7 to keep his own campaign afloat. Fisher said that he expects the race to be over on the morning of March 8.

"By the time the New York primary is over, I think it's going to be pretty clear that Al's the nominee," he said. Bradley has been getting support from various Brooklyn Democrats, such as Rep. Jerrold Nadler and Councilmember Herbert Berman. But Fisher believes that if Gore wins the nomination, it will not be difficult to unite the party behind him. "The difference between Gore and Bradley on the issues is significant, but they're not wedge issues," he said.

Interestingly enough, Fisherís brother's law firm -- Fisher, Fisher & Berger -- is representing the Gore camp in New York, as well as Senator John McCain in his ballot fight here. For a Brooklyn Democrat, it does'ít get much better than that: representing the establishment Democrat and also forcing the state's GOP bigwigs to eat crow.

Birds Of A Feather Lost amidst the media blitz that surrounded First Lady Hillary Rodham Clintonís official entree into the Senate race was Councilmember Mike Nelson's endorsement of Mayor Rudy Giuliani. "The main reason is that, all things being equal, I always go with the Democrat based upon the record. But she has no record," said Nelson. Nelson said that Giuliani performed well as mayor. "It's been a total turnaround. It's a great feeling of pride," said Nelson. "She's not a New Yorker and this guy (Giuliani) has got to love New York."

Nelson is the second Brooklyn Democrat to cross party lines and endorse Giuliani. State Senator Carl Kruger, Nelson's mentor and former boss, was the first. Nelson said that Councilmember Herbert Berman, who is top dog in Nelson's neck of the woods, was not happy at all about his decision. "I talked to Herb about it, and he was less than thrilled," said Nelson. Kruger said much the same thing after his endorsement.

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