I wish I were making this up.

The mayor's term limits extension bill (Intro 845) has already been amended. The addition, slipped into the bill in the middle of ... well, when someone thought nobody was watching, is being called the "Lauder clause" by the Daily News. Unfortunately, the Daily News got it all wrong.

They claim that this addition will create a referendum in 2010 to roll back term limits to the two-full-term limit we have now. WRONG! All this addition does is to say that IF there is this particular kind referendum, and IF the voters approve it, then AND ONLY THEN will the rollback occur.

So what the heck is that little tidbit doing in there? Read on.

I attended Speaker Christine Quinn's press conference today, where she announced her support for Mayor Bloomberg's power grab.

She began by stating that we are facing "unprecedented challenges," and that she feels we need to have the "choice to keep the current" people in office to create a "continuity of leadership."

Let's take that one piece at a time.

First of all, the hook on which she hung everything else (perhaps her political career as well) was the concept of "unprecedented challenges." What I want to know, and what NOBODY IN THE PRESS ASKED, was just what exactly we're facing that is "unprecedented." This city has been through wars, riots, panics, depressions, near-bankruptcy and terrorist attacks. What's new here? What is unprecedented?

That question alone, and the obvious fact that there is no answer, renders Christine Quinn unfit for service. If she doesn't know the history of this city well enough to put things in perspective, she has no idea what she's doing. But there's more...

This comes from the National Jewish Democratic Council:

FINAL 2008 PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WATCH EVENT

7:30 PM Discussion – The 2008 Jewish Vote

Please join
DNC Vice Chair, Susie Turnbull

9:00 PM Final Presidential Debate Watch
4 Large Screens

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH
BAR SOCIAL
1002 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, New York

Noshes
Cash Bar

$10,000 Co-chair, $5,000 Benefactor, $1,000 Host, $500 Friend, $250 Supporter

Event Ticket: $36

New York NJDC Membership: $50 (includes event)

RSVP: msudco2_at_aol.com, or (212) 868-4048 NJDC New York Office

HOST COMMITTEE:
Steve Anchin, Hon. Carol Berman, Renee Birnbaum, Ivy Cohen, Debra Cooper, Hon. Jon Cooper, Hon. Vivian Viloria-Fisher, Mark J. Epstein, Joan Dean, Hon. David Denenberg, Mark Finkel, Cynthia Friedman, Hon. Steve Israel, Hon.Craig Johnson, Hon. Jon Kaiman, Hon. Marsha Z. Laufer, Hon. Charles Levine, Arnold Linhardt, Steve Markowitz, Hon. Trudy Mason, Eric Milgrim, Joyce Miller, David Pincus, Steve Richman, Hon. Michelle Schimel, Menashe Shapiro, Hon. Steve Stern, Marilyn Thypin, Hon. Howard Weitzman, Barry Weprin, Jeff Wice

Last December, Christine Quinn made a promise on term limits that left no wiggle room. She vowed to "oppose aggressively" any attempt to change the law.

Now, she has not only reneged on her promise, but made other promises that prove her unworthiness to serve in any capacity. You may recall the Bloomberg/Lauder deal whereby Lauder's Charter Revision Commission will push to roll back the term limits extension. Under this deal, current first-term Council members would get screwed, since they would not only not get a third term, but also lose any chance at seniority during their second term.

Well, Quinn has promised them that they will get a third term too!

She should be ashamed of herself, but apparently Christine Quinn knows no shame.

The time has come for New Yorkers to rise up and force Chris Quinn out of office, by any legal means available. We must also do everything we can to ensure that anyone who votes for this bill never wins another election, and anyone who runs for a third term, whichever way they vote, also loses. The voice of the people, which is the bedrock of the American way, is being trampled on by a couple of billionaires and their lackey.

Meanwhile, come to the press event Sunday at noon, on the steps of City Hall. Arrive early, so you can get through security in time.

Thirty-five active members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee have, under the leadership of Morgan Pehme of the Brooklyn Optimist, signed an open letter to the City Council opposing the Bloomberg Putsch to reverse behind the scenes the term limits that were put in place by two referendums approved by the voters. Let me make two comments: first, my wife and I are among these 35 County Committee members who have signed on. Second, not everyone who has signed this letter believes in term limits. We all simply oppose an arbitrary mayoral and legislative reversal of the clear will of the voters of NYC. Here is the open letter we have signed:

An Open Letter from 35 Members of the Brooklyn Democratic County Committee to the New York City Council Opposing the Extension of Term Limits

cc: Mayor Mike Bloomberg
Council Speaker Christine Quinn
Ronald Lauder

Dear Council Members.

The Democratic Party is on the verge of claiming complete control of the New York State government. There is a Democratic governor, and Democrats make up about two-thirds of the state Assembly. The last remaining Republican holdout is the state Senate, and Democrats are only two seats away from a majority there. In addition, the watchword for this election is "change," and Democrats are on the "change bandwagon."

The major stumbling block to turning the state Senate blue is that Republicans have several million dollars available. The Senate Republican Campaign Committee (SRCC) has $1.7 million in cash, compared with just under $1.3 million for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC). As of a week ago, the Democratic state party committee had a tiny advantage over the Republican state party committee, $418K to $360K. In addition, over the last two months the SRCC had transferred far more to individual candidates than the DSCC had transferred to its candidates.

In other words, Democrats need a major transfusion of money, and there's no time to raise it.

There is a source of money that might be tapped. After a three-way primary in which he got 68% of the vote, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver still has $2.5 million in his own campaign account. State law only allows him to transfer small amounts to other candidates' campaign accounts, but it also allows him (or any candidate) to transfer as much as he wants to the DSCC, which could then transfer all they want to individual Senate candidates' campaign committees.

In other words, he could send $1.5 million to the DSCC, which would give Democrats a huge leg up in the battle to win the state Senate, and still keep a million dollars.

But wait - there's more!

An addition of an extra term for city officials will have a chilling effect on competition for elective office, worsening a political system in the City which is already on life support. The immediate critical problem is not that less than 1% of registered voters during the last primary had a choice at the polls; it is the centralization of control in the hands of a new breed of powerbrokers that has evolved since the corruption scandal uncovered in the 1980’s in the Koch administration.

Only one man can stop this elite gang of elected officials, party leaders, lobbyists and their clients from a complete takeover of New York City’s budget and political system: Michael Garcia, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District. Garcia, whose office is mostly known for convicting members of violent organized crime families, must not let the city’s secret powerbrokers end his investigation of the City Council’s member item slush fund scandal. Mr. Garcia, you have assembled valuable resources to stop this new ruling gang from continuing to loot the City’s budget. You must use the power in your hands to do so now. It was the municipal scandal of the 80’s that led to the term limits reform not the money of Ron Lauder.

Will Garcia Uncover a New Municipal Scandal to Rival New Jersey U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie’s Accomplishments?

Heads-up: if you're not registered to vote yet, or need to update your information, today is the last day to do so to be able to vote in November. So get yourself to your local post office and get on it, folks.

Christine Quinn is having some difficulties making up her mind on Mayor Bloomberg's power grab.

Last December, Quinn said (as reported by the NY Post): "I am today making a firm and final decision. I will not support the repeal or change of term limits through any mechanism, and I will oppose aggressively any attempts by anyone to make any changes in the term-limit law." She needs to know that people know what she said, and want to hold her to her word.

Her office number is 212-788-7210.

It appears that by striking a deal with Ron Lauder, Mayor Bloomberg may have broken the law.

Common Cause and NYPIRG have filed a joint complaint, charging that giving Lauder a seat on a Charter Revision Commission in exchange for Lauder's support for extending [his] term limits is a violation of the Conflicts of Interest Code.

Details are available on the Common Cause website.