Saw a Simpson commerical tonight on Cable. It would leave one to believe that Johnson is the candidate of back door politics and other things. Real disgusting and I'm sure Vito wrote it.

The Dear/Yellen race is the most unambiguous choice available in this year's Brooklyn judicial elections, and it has been ignored for far too long in favor of a forest of dead trees written about the far more ambiguous Surrogate's race. Residents of Bay Ridge, Kensington, Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace, Dyker Heights, Borough Park and portions of adjoining communities should run, not walk, and vote early and often for Karen Yellen.

So, thank you. I really should not quibble, but quibble I must.

First, you forgot to mention that Yellen has ten years experience as a Civil Court Judge, and currenly tries cases in Family Court as a Referee. And, you failed to mention her heroic role as chief witness in the most important Clarence Norman trial. I won't overly pump up Yellen, who, while miles more qualified than Dear, is no Louis Brandeis, but I think you may have sold her a little shorter than you intended.

But that's a good quibble. The bad quibble is that you got so much wrong.

YVETTE CLARKE!!!! Yvette Clarke is supposed to what? Ensure us candidates for office who are qualified? On what basis? Say what you want about the Dear race (I will shortly posit my alternative explanation for this inexcusable endorsement), but since becoming leader, Vito's supported for election and elevation judicial candidates like Karen Rothenberg, David Schmidt, Jackie Williams,Fred Arriaga, etc. All qualified, some outstanding. And, his de facto brother-in-law, Jack Battaglia, may actually be one of the best of the bunch--ask your friend, Paul Wooten(nothing per se wrong with supporting relatives, even Major Owens does it sometimes). By contrast, since her election to Congress, Yvette Clarke has given us Matthieu Eugene. Both you and I found Vito's de facto choice, Wellington Sharpe, to be far preferable. Hell, my miniature schnauzer, Harpo, is probably preferable to Eugene.

Eric Adams is a star in elected offfice, but there's been no indication since his election of any interest in playing an independent role in County poltics. If anything, he's been a Lopez ally.

The Adams thing actually goes a long way in explaining Lopez's Dear endorsement. Last year, Lopez supported Adams for Senate, basically because he was a sure winner, and Lopez decided to join the parade by appearing to lead it. Clearly, Dear is the same thing. County had picked an inarguably qualified candiate for the seat, Charlie Finkelstein, but he dropped out for family related reasons. At that point, the race was between two late entries, neither of which had gone through the County's panel, Yellen and Dear. Given where the votes come from in this district, which candidate has roots in the community, and who has the money and political backing (remember, the County Leader is supposed to be accountable to the leaders who elected him, and the leaders in this area were mostly backing Dear), Dear is the overwhelming favorite. Lopez isn't leading here, he's following, for all sorts of reasons, some good, some bad. But he was never the force behind Dear's capmapign, and Dear would likely have won with or without Lopez. Lopez should have stayed out. You are right to blast him for not doing so, but at least get it right.

I suspect there are many reason for the endorsement. Part of it is to bring out votes for Shawndya Simpson. However, as you well know, Diane Johnson's campaign attempted (and apparently nearly succeeded) in forging an alliance with Dear themselves. Moreover, no one doubts that on election day, there will be Dear/Johnson palm cards being given out by men in Othodox garb in the appropriate areas of Brooklyn. Yes, in the CBID area, there will be some joint Yellen/Johnson action, but that has nothing to do with Johnson's campaign; as you know, Johnson's campaign was actually the source of false and ugly lies about Yellen earlier in the summer, trying to link her to a non-existent plot to help Leo Beitner. Johnson hands here are as dirty as Vito's. The overall effect has been quite ugly, but does very little to elevate either major faction in Brookyln's party wars.

And Vito has a good reason, as well. Next year, there will be a hotly contested race for State Senate between Kevin Parker and Kendall Stewart. Given the district's make-up, if Dear enters the race, he has a good shot of winning. If he wins, he will join Carl Kruger as one more State Senate Democrat who is in the pocket of Joe Bruno, preventing Democratic control, even should Dems actually win a majority. This is of major imporatnce. Ask Bouldin. Dear must not be allowed to go to the Senate!!!!

As much as I think Dear's Senate ambitions must not be allowed to come to frution, the price of putting him on the bench is way too high. He is the Garson family with a yarmulke, or as one Orthodox Jewish member of our bench once told me, an indictment waiting to happen. And let's not forget his lovely temperment! Even without his reactionary social views, Dear would be a blot on our judiciary. That he is the overwhelming favorite to win a seat on the bench is not Vito's Lopez's fault, and, under the present circumstances, Vito could do little to stop him, even it if he wanted to (although Vito intially had a candidate with quite a good shot of beating Dear). None of this excuses Lopez's conduct here. He deserves to be criticzed for this. But his crime in this race isn't imposition, it's acquiesence.

So tell me, is he still a raging homophobe?

Lambda Line:

Dear was the only member of the Brooklyn delegation in the City Council to vote against the domestic partner legislation passed four years ago. In 1998, while running for the Congressional seat being vacated by now Senator Charles Schumer, Dear sent a representative to LID’s endorsement meeting to record opponent Anthony Weiner’s presentation to the club wherein Weiner restated his well-known support of many LGBT issues and causes. That secretly recorded audiotape was then played before a large audience at Agudath Israel, an influential Orthodox Jewish group, in an effort to fan homophobic flames and damage Weiner. This was just one of several gay-baiting, nasty tactics that Dear pressed in his race against Weiner.

Apart from his anti-choice and homophobic politics, Dear isn’t much of Democratic anyway. Dear not only endorsed the first George Bush for president, and Giuliani for mayor, he accepted the Republican party line in his race for Congress and has done so again in his race for the State Senate! Worse still, reports persist that he might permanently join the Republicans if he is elected to the State Senate. With all this in mind, and Lori's genuine record of support for the LGBT community, we strongly urge voters to cast their ballot for Lori Knipel in the 21st Senate District.

Of course, he may also still be pretending to be black.

Or he may still be a republican, like he was in 2000.

Whatever he is, it's a safe bet that someone like Noa(c)h doesn't have judicial temperament.

Obviously Noach Dear is corrupt and despicable and not worthy of holding ANY elected office. However, I'm afraid the demographics of the district and the expected low turnout strongly favor Dear's election.

But there is an upside to this. If it can discourage him from getting into the State Senate race next year, then his election to the bench is a good thing. The last thing the Democrats need right now is a senator who will give control back to Joe Bruno.

And then once he's on the bench you watch the little scoundrel like a hawk! And pretty soon he's going to do something illegal, and then he'll be removed from the bench and his sorry ass will finally get thrown into prison where it belongs. Guys like these you throw them a rope and they'll hang themselves.

Zap. Still banned, Wallner.

there are times when I wish I lived somewhere where I could actually be fighting Republicans.

Just so you know, mole, when readers click on the link to this piece, the original title shows up in the bottom data bar. And I agree with it. Not so sure about whom you're choosing for our knights in shining armor, though. I think they're both probably more concerned with their own gardens for the moment than with cleaning up our swamp.