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.

I am having to reduce my blogging as I am getting ready for an important scientific conference at the end of this month. But, given my frequent criticisms of my new Congresswoman, Yvette Clarke, I feel it is important for me to comment on something great she's done.

Yvette Clarke has become the fifth member of Congress to sign on to H. Res 333, Dennis Kucinich's bill to impeach Dick Cheney.

Now I am not a huge fan of Kucinich, but he certainly doesn't hesitate to take a controversial stand. Clarke is someone who I was viewing as not being willing to take much of a controversial stand unless Murtha and Weiner wanted her to. Perhaps I was wrong.

Straight from the Top Clarke herself this letter prepares us for the second and hopefully final special election in the 40th City Council District.

It goes a little something like this:

"A word about Dr. Mathieu Eugene's Campaign for City Council

April 24 Vote

We are coming down to the final days of this campaign, and thankfully, we are very encouraged by the responses of the people to Dr. Eugene and to the campaign as a whole.

It is important that we do as we did last time - that is, each of our supporters reaches out to 10 friends, family and colleagues, persuading them of the importance of combining our strength in this common purpose. We will send a message again, that we are here, and we shall not be denied. We are focused and will not be distracted from our goal of making this a better place for our children to live in.

I ask you not to get distracted or fooled by those who know nothing about our community and mean us no good, but want to use us to get to places and then forget us.

Watch out for deliberate lies and efforts to discourage and prevent you from voting!

As a special election, even non-Democrats can vote. We know that there are a few of them out there, so please reach out to them to join in this historic moment."

In a move that could mark a turning point for the residents on Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn, Yvette Clarke has written a letter of support for the preservation of their homes. The properties, purportedly part of the historic Underground Railroad movement of the Civil War era, are threatened with seizure by the New York Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The EDC wants to build in their place an underground parking lot and access road for a hotel.

Yvette Clarke was recently elected to Congress, beating out three other candidates in a grueling contest. This move suggests a growing sense of leadership for Clarke. In the wake of Clarke's letter, David Yassky and Congressman Ed Towns have expressed their intention of standing up in favor of the Abolitionist homes. The Brooklyn Papers published Clarke: Save Duffield Houses in this week's edition.

The Daily News has the story we've all been so breathlessly waiting for: there will need to be another special election in the 40th City Council District, because the rocket scientist who won the last one - that would be "Doctor" Mathieu Eugene - did not have the simple common sense to meet the legal requirements of holding office.

Such as, say, living in the district. Good for him, though, that they don't make these things clear to you when you decide to run.

Oh, wait, they do. Never mind.

"This great opportunity for the people I would represent, this historical victory for our city, has been shattered and tainted by technicalities," he said at a press conference with supporters on the steps of City Hall.

No, you dumbass. Your victory was shattered and tainted by your own unfathomable dumb-assedness. What part of 'you have to live in the district on election day to represent it' is too difficult for you? That's thirteen words, champ, none with more than three syllables. You tell me what's too hard about that for you.

The paper mentions a price tag for a new election of $340,000, though of course, there will also have to be additional candidate matching funds; the last election, the one just made moot because the winner declined to take the seat, cost $451,224, with more payments yet to come. That's about a nickel for every New Yorker. Literally chump change, since we all look like chumps now as New Yorkers.