Take That It ain't easy being minority leader, especially when the duties of the office conflict with the desires of your local constituency. The Lambda Independent Democrats refused to endorse State Senate Minority Leader Martin Connor despite the fact that Connor has been a supporter of gay rights throughout his career and recently pushed bias crimes legislation through the State Senate.

One of the main reasons for the non-endorsement is that Connor backed incumbent State Senator George Onorato from Queens in his race against openly gay challenger Ed Sederbaum. Onorato is a conservative Democrat who was given a 100 percent rating by the Christian Coalition and opposes gay rights. Certainly, Oronato is much more conservative than Connor, but Connor-bound by the dictates of conference leadership -- was required to support the incumbent or risk losing the faith of those who elected him minority leader. However, Lambda was hoping that Connor would jump ship on an extremely conservative member of his conference and support Sederbaum, especially since Sederbaum's campaign manager is Roderick Dial, a former Lambda president.

"He is admittedly in a tough spot here, but at some point you have to say to the minority leader, 'Hello, is (Oronato) doing you any favors?" said Dan Tietz, Lambda's president. Tietz said that Connor's support for the repeal of the commuter tax and his lack of presence in the district were also reasons for the non-endorsement. "Marty Connor just hasn't played politics enough with his Brooklyn constituency," said Tietz. "I understand he's not wild about politicking. but hey, look, what are we-chopped liver?"

Howard Graubard, co-director of Connor's district office, said the non-endorsement was hardly fair considering Connor's record of supporting gay rights. "It's sort of like when you get a 98 percent on the exam and your mother asks you what happened to the other two points," said Graubard, who added, "This is basically one member's personal vendetta." Connor's position on the commuter tax, he said, was forced by a confluence of political forces, including a spat between Mayor Giuliani and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, as well as a State Senate race in Rockland County. As for Connor's local presence, he said, "Part of the price you pay for being minority leader is that you're not in the district at each and every event because you're up in Albany or you're around the state raising money, convincing candidates to run, spotlighting issues. We bring home the bacon in Albany on (local) things like Brooklyn Bridge Park, and we're winning on the big issues too, like bias crime."

Graubard also said that Lambda may be confusing its enemies with its friends and hurting the gay and lesbian community in the process. "The greatest political threat to the gay and lesbian community is (Senate Majority Leader) Joe Bruno. The second greatest threat is that elected officials will wrongly believe that the Lambda vote is reflective of how the gay community treats its friends," he said.

"I agree with him on the first one," said Tietz. "Most people find (Connor's) views are either fine or heading in the right direction. He's largely been supportive, and I know a number of gay people who work for him and are proud to do so, but I think it's also fair for us to transmit a message."

Dinner Is Not Served Rep. Anthony Weiner has been taken off the menu, which is probably a good thing considering the rail-thin congressman makes a pretty skimpy plat du jour. The Daily News reported on June 19 that Weiner's 9th district seat could be the first to go when redistricting cuts the number of New York representatives. And Weiner himself gave the News a lively sound bite about the whole affair, saying, "Redistricting is a time of political cannibalism, and I fear that I may be the main course." But Serena Torrey, Weiner's spokesperson, is now cautioning potential diners to hold their order. "What he really meant to say is that we all could be the main course," said Torrey. "There is absolutely no evidence at all that his seat is any more at risk than any member of the New York delegation."

According to Suzanne Baker of the Population Reference Bureau, New York State will lose two congressional seats after the 2000 census, mainly due to slower growth here than in southern states, where the House seats will be transferred. But it's impossible to tell which seats will be trimmed. The state legislature redraws the lines, making the decisions intensely political and therefore divorcing them from any sense of logic, fair play or predictability. "It's like reading tea leaves," said Torrey.

Will 13 Be Lucky For Recchia? The biggest whipsaw in Coney Island cannot be found in a theme park, but rather in the West 8th Street office of Community Board 13. For months now, local insiders have believed that their community board is being used as a political tool, this time for the benefit of Dominick Recchia, who was appointed to the board on May 31 and who is rumored to be seeking the seat in the 47th Councilmanic District, currently held by the term-limited Howard Lasher.

According to sources, board member Marcy Feigenbaum acts as Borough President Howard Golden's eyes and ears on the board. Sources say that Feigenbaum, who worked for Golden for more than 20 years, asked her former boss to appoint Recchia to the board as a way to punish District Leader Marsha Rapaport. "A lot of this stuff is being provoked by Marcy Feigenbaum," said one source. "She's really putting a bug up Golden's ass." Rapaport, who is also running for Lasher's seat, angered Golden by endorsing Councilmember Herb Berman over Board of Education President William Thompson in the comptroller's race.

By putting Recchia on the board, say sources, Golden and Feigenbaum give him a local platform to build an image and challenge Rapaport. "This is a marriage of convenience," said another source. "With help from Golden and Marcy (Feigenbaum) Recchia can be a serious candidate." Recchia and Feigenbaum also serve on School Board 21 together. Neither returned calls seeking comment.

Gadson Trying To Reach City On A Hill In the upcoming borough president's race, Councilmember Ken Fisher is expected to command Brooklyn's sizable Hasidic vote. But Deputy Borough President Jeannette Gadson is not conceding anything. Last month, Schlomo Braun held a house party for Gadson in Borough Park, bringing her into a Hasidic network and helping her chip away at one of Fisher's key blocks. Braun, who served for 10 years as an aide to former Rep. Steve Solarz, said that he was backing Gadson despite his feelings for Fisher. "I like Mr. Fisher," he said. "He's a fine gentleman, and I would have supported him, and I told him I would support him when he was running for mayor. (But) when he had committed himself to run for mayor, I had given a commitment to Ms. Gadson that I was going to support her for borough president. If Mr. Fisher did not run for mayor, I'm not sure whether or not I would have given my commitment to Ms. Gadson, but she's a fine human being, and she has the experience."

The extent of Hasidic attrition from Fisher will most likely be very small, especially since he represents a swath of at least 45,000 Lubavitcher Hasidim in Williamsburg (exact figures are unknown because the Hasidim generally eschew accurate counts of their communities). And Fisher is nearly ubiquitous in the Hasidic community, appearing at a bris one minute and a marriage the next, and advocating on behalf of the Hasidim in a number of causes. "Mr. Fisher is everywhere," said Braun.

Gadson certainly faces a steep uphill battle in Orthodox communities, not only because of Fisher's longstanding presence, but also because she is a black woman trying to cull support in patriarchal communities that have historically had sour relations with their black neighbors. But whatever Hasidic votes Gadson can get-especially with the help of Borough President Howard Golden and others like Braun -- are doubly important for her, as they eat at one of Fisher's pillars of strength.

Borough Politics Archive
June 19 column.
June 12 column.
May 15 column.
May 8 column.
April 24 column.
April 10 column.
March 13 column.
March 7 column.
February 21 column.
February 14 column.
February 7 column.
January 31 column.
January 24 column.
January 17 column.
December 16 column.
December 9 column.
December 2 column.
November 25 column.
November 18 column.
November 11 column.
November 4 column.