When I write columns like this one they invariably lead to e-mails and phone calls where I have to defend my virginity (political), integrity and honor. Sometimes the callers are so-called friends, with special interests and/or hidden agendas; I don’t care for the shouting matches (sometimes/lol). I do these type of columns because I blog with a purpose, and also because I do believe that voters need to know the kind of things that take place behind the scenes, before they pull the levers on the voting machine.

One Friday evening last month, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (Brooklyn’s 11th district) was spotted on Broadway (Booth Theatre) taking her mother (Una Clarke) to see Laurence Fishburne, starring in the play “Thurgood Marshall”. Fishburne was one of the stars in a movie in which I appeared, more than a decade in ago. He is quite a humorous though intense actor. That movie was entitled: “Searching for Bobby Fisher”. In it, I played myself (as a chess player); and of course near all my best scenes were left on the cutting floor/lol.

In “Marshall”, Laurence Fishburne has done a tremendous job bringing an icon back to life; and if you know anything about Thurgood Marshall, I am sure you must know that he was denied entrance to many top law schools: because he was black. He was eventually accepted by -and graduated from- Howard Law School in Baltimore, Maryland. He later became the first Negro (black) lawyer to be selected to the country’s highest court. Justice Marshall wrote some of the most profound decisions in the history of the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) relative to issues of race. He was one of the lead lawyers in the landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954). He was a champion of the civil rights cause. He was also a champion in the fight for racial equality.

Since last week, I have been working on a column for a developing story, about an epic 33 year old court battle between tenants of 320 Sterling Street, Brooklyn, and their former landlords. This legal quagmire also includes the NYC Housing Preservation Department (HPD). This week however, was the deadline for submitting petitions for candidates running for public and party offices/positions, and given that I have been advising a few clients (one of the many hats I wear is that of political consultant), my time for finishing up on that column just flew by. I will get to it real soon, since it is a very painful story about power-abuse.

It is also a story about a courageous and feisty lady named Joyce Stewart (born in Trinidad), and the tenants association that she formed about thirty five ago, to fight off vicious drug dealers, abusive landlords, corrupt lawyers and judges, inept elected officials and over-reaching governmental bodies. It has been a monumental fight that the public needs to know about.

The building of note is located in the 40th city council district. It is also located in the 11th congressional district. Yvette and Una Clarke have been aware of this issue since 1991 (at least). Before their fanatics start attacking me here on this blog (as per usual) let us simply look at the length of time this has been going on without resolution. That alone, indicates that someone somewhere has failed these tenants. I am not going to place blame only on the shoulders of Una and Yvette Clarke, but given that between the two of them, they have held this council seat since 1991, they do have some accounting to do relative to this situation. Now that their handpicked bogus and inept minion (Mathieu Eugene) is the present council member representing this area, can we expect the timely expedition of this matter? You tell me.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists recent newsletter, the antibiotic resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that has been an increasing problem in hospitals around the world is now infecting apparently healthy schoolkids outside of hospitals. This is a major development. Up until now anti-biotic resistance was only occasionally a problem outside of hospitals (so-called community-acquired" cases). This may be changing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, MRSA was responsible for almost 19,000 US deaths in 2005.

Another part of this development is also important. Evidence from Europe indicate that the community-acquired cases of MRSA are often associated with livestock operations. This is yet further evidence that the idiotic practice of pouring massive amounts of antibiotics into the feed of healthy animals is contributing to the public health risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria that treatens our children and people with a compromised immune system.

Yvette Clarke represents the 11th congressional district in Brooklyn. Her mother (Una Clarke) is the former city council woman from Brooklyn’s 40th councilmanic district. When Una was term-limited in 2001, her daughter Yvette succeeded her in the council seat. Una was born on the island of Jamaica and loves to highlight her roots as a maroon. Yvette was born in Brooklyn, and loves her Caribbean-American heritage and culture as much as she loves her African-American birthright. Maroons are militant people: they don’t take too much shit. Bill Perkins was lucky that Una wasn’t at City Hall yesterday.

Look, I have had a few issues with Una along the by and by, but I have always admired her spunk; as tiny as she is she just might have decked Perkins yesterday, for the way he handled Yvette. While we know exactly who Una is most of the time, Yvette has always been “Una-lite”; sometimes it is better that way: yesterday might have been one of those times.

Just so that you know: if there is ever a “throw-down” between the uptown boys and the Brooklyn crew, I am fighting with Brooklyn. Roughing up the Brooklyn electeds is my job; and Perkins needs to stay out of my terrain/lol.

Bill Perkins is the state senator from Harlem -where he was born and raised I am told. At one point between 2001 and 2005 he was a member of the city council; so too was Yvette Clarke. I am assuming they both got along all right; especially since I have never picked up anything adverse through the grapevines. That’s why yesterday’s ungentlemanly behavior by Bill “Perks” Perkins leaves an opening for much speculation. I was surprised by Bill’s mannerisms, demeanor and tone of voice. He was angry like hell; obviously, there were many things on his mind.

Okay, let’s go to the video tape as supplied by “You-Tube”.

Today I received the summary of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats' (CBID) first endorsement meeting of the year. This first meeting covered the Presidential election and uncontested local elections.

CBID endorsed Barack Obama. This doesn't surprise anyone because CBID's territory overlaps two of the districts in NYC that voted for Barack Obama: CD 10 (Ed Towns' district) and CD 11 (Yvette Clarke's district). CBID did not endorse prior to the primary because their membership was split among several candidates, predominantly John Edwards and Barack Obama with some support for Dennis Kucinich and even a little for Hillary Clinton. But now that it has narrowed down to two candidates, they decided to take the plunge.

Impeachment is being whispered everywhere I go. And, since I live in NYC, Jerrold Nadler and Anthony Weiner are among those who immediately are brought up when the issue comes up. I have several email discussions going about it. I see diaries on Daily Kos about it. And when I got to local Democratic club parties and meetings I hear it brought up.

Here, in progressive Brooklyn it comes down to this question I get asked a hundred times:

Are Anthony Weiner and Jerrold Nadler supporting Yvette Clarke on impeachment of Bush and Cheney.

Oddly, no one asks me about Velasquez and Rangel...or even Towns, who HAS signed on with Clarke.

The bottom line is this: I am being asked several times a day (whether I want it or not!) who in NYC is backing impeachment.

The simple answer is this: Yvette Clarke and Ed Towns are signed on to impeachment. No one else in NYC has so far.

Tonight was a forum on Iraq sponsored by Democracy for NYC, Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats, Independent Neighborhood Democrats, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Brooklyn Parents for Peace and MANY other groups. Jarrold Nadler, Anthony Weiner and my own Congresswoman Yvette Clarke showed up. Nydia Velazquez had planned to make it but had to attend a funeral. Ed Towns begged off with another commitment. Vito Fossella politely declined (big surprise...imaging HIM facing the common people about a real issue). Senators Clinton and Schumer were invited but chose not to even respond to the invitation, if I understood correctly. This goes along with what I have personally experienced with Chuck Schumer's office in the past where a bunch of disgruntled New York City Democrats were basically told upstate was more important than NYC.

My view of the event was affected by the fact I was watching Jacob. I missed all of Nadler's opening satement and half of Clarke's opening satement. I also had to leave early, as I am sure the audience heard when Jacob started feeling sick and calling loudly for mommy! But I have Joy's impressions and notes as well.

Don't say you weren't warned in advance. Politico has an unsurprising story about freshman Representative Yvette Clarke, winner of the bitterly contested 2006 primary in the Eleventh District.

It’s been eight months and 22 days since Rep. Yvette Clarke was sworn in as a member of Congress.

Yet more than a third of the way through her two-year term, the New York Democrat has yet to introduce any bill, resolution or amendment on the House floor.

That fact makes her unique among 54 House freshmen; every other new lawmaker has proposed some floor legislation, if only a symbolic measure to congratulate a victorious golfer (from Iowa Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack) or celebrate the bald eagle (from Tennessee Republican Rep. David Davis).

As a whole, the freshman class has averaged nine legislative measures per lawmaker.

Clarke said in an interview Wednesday that she has been occupied with other responsibilities.

“I have not really concentrated that much on crafting legislation,” she said. “Part of it was getting my bearings. I do have interest. I just haven’t made that my ultimate focus.”

It's gratifying to know, certainly for the people she represents, that Ms. Clarke has an interest in crafting legislation. Certainly, some of them might labor under the clearly mistaken impression that this is what Members of Congress do for a living.

[NOTE: Believe it or not, I was asked to clean up the language in the title...Yeah...on Daily Gotham we are cleaning up our language!]

So, there are some out there who get tired of my railing against "Vito Lopez and his Band of Ill Repute." But the truth is, what is deadly wrong with Brooklyn politics is what is business as usual within the Democratic Party. This year seemed to be a possible exception, but in the end I think it really will CONTINUE to be business as usual in the worst possible way.

One thing that the local political machine, currently headed by Vito Lopez, previously led by Clarence Norman, now in jail, was infamous for was putting comlpetely unqualified candidates up for judicial elections as part of a network of cronyism that would make Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff jealous. Judicial candidates who were rated as outright unqualified would be guided through with ease by Clarence and/or Vito simply to fulfill a favor or generate a favor. Favors were all that mattered, not qualifications, not quality, not actually quality governance.

Just yesterday I wrote on Daily Gotham about my new Congressional Rep, Yvette Clarke, becoming the fifth Congress Critter to officially call for impeachment of Dick Cheney. Clarke has signed on to Dennis Kucinich's bill, HR 333, which are articles of impeachment against Cheney. For the full text of HR 333, go here.

Back in February I began advocating the impeachment of George Bush based on the exact articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon, an arguement widely discussed by former Congresswoman Liz Holtzman, who was part of the House committee that DID impeach Nixon. If anyone can be said to be an expert on impeaching a president, Liz is one of them.

George W. Bush pesonally authorized about 45 wiretaps without any court approval. He has also publically admitted that he has done this.