[UPDATE: Seems today's Daily News has confirmation that Nydia Velasquez is a front runner to replace Hillary Clinton should she be elevated by Obama (Cabinet or, possibly, Supreme Court). Don't know about you, but I heard it first at CBID!]

Tonight was CBID's (Central Brooklyn Independent Neighborhood Democrats) dinner honoring the Brooklyn for Obama people who worked so hard both locally and nationally to elect Barack Obama. It was held at Bogota, the excellent Colombian restaurant on 5th Ave. Those who know me know that I paid particular attention to the food, so let me get that out of the way, then I will mention some of the rumors that came my way today both at the dinner and by email after I posted my "Defeating Tsar Bloomberg and his Trained Surrender Monkeys" diary.

Just came across a Facebook site dedicated to defeating Tsar Bloomberg and the Bloomberg 29 (his trained surrender monkeys). So far it is just a sattement of purpose and a list of possible challengers to the 29 City Council members who voted to overturn the will of the people on term limits.

Here is their statement of purpose:

On October 23, 2008 the New York City Council passed Mayor Bloomberg's proposal that extended term limits from 2 terms to 3 terms for the Mayor, City Council, and other city officials without a voter referendum even though New Yorkers voted in 1993 and 1996 to keep term limits at 2 terms. The final vote was 29 YES and 22 NO.

According to a Quinnipiac poll, 89% of New Yorkers believe that the issue of term limits should be decided by voters in a referendum, not by an act by the City Council.

This was not an issue about whether you supported term limits or not. This was not an issue about whether you believed Mayor Bloomberg was a good mayor or not. This was an issue about whether the New York City Council had the right to overturn the will of the people.

And now back to the term limits battle. Yes, that's right Tsar Bloomberg and your trained Surrender Monkeys (Christine Quinn, Dominc Recchia, David Yassky and the rest of the Bloomberg 29), we aren't forgetting your disrespect of the voters of NYC.

Norman Siegel got to confront Tsar Bloomberg at City Hall:

Norman 's statement at City Hall on Monday, November 3rd, prior to the Mayor's signing of the bill extending term limits.

Mr. Mayor, where I grew up in Brooklyn we were taught that whenever we were critical of someone we were to tell them why we disagreed with them face to face. So, this morning I will respectfully do exactly that.

I love New York City. I also love the principles and values associated with a democratic society. By extending term limits by legislative fiat on October 23, 2008, you and the City Council Speaker along with 28 other members of the City Council trampled on those precious principles. I and other New Yorkers will not be silent in opposition to your undoing the People’s will.

David Yassky currently seems the most targeted of the Bloomberg 29 (personally I would like to see Recchia and Quinn get more heat for their ass kissing of Tsar Bloomberg). I already posted a statement from Ken Diamondstone criticizing Yassky and making it pretty clear Diamondstone was still planning on running for the 33rd City Council seat, even if Yassky is still hanging on.

Now Jo Anne Simon, another declared candidate in the 33rd race, has issued a statement:

Should term limits be extended? Are two terms simply insufficient for the executive and the legislature to accomplish what each does best? Is the current financial crisis truly that rarest of situations where the law should be set aside to effectuate a result propounded by one person (the mayor) but likely to benefit several incumbent interests, such as city council members (who had the up or down vote), borough presidents and other, city-wide elected officials?

New Yorkers differ about the answers.

I assume from this statement that Ken Diamondstone plans to challenge Yassky for the 33rd City Council seat. Here is Ken's statement:

Brooklyn Council Candidate Ken Diamondstone's Statement on David Yassky's "Yes" Vote on a Legislative Change to Term Limits

COUNCILMAN DAVID YASSKY BETRAYS VOTERS

On October 23rd, David Yassky finally revealed what many who live in the 33rd Council District suspected all along. By voting "yes" on a legislative change to the term limits law, Yassky has once again demonstrated that while he plays at being a progressive working for the people, the real reason he is in office is to serve his own self-interest.

These past few weeks have been the most disgraceful chapter in Yassky's seven years in office. His alleged indecision on extending term limits made it clear that David Yassky lacks both courage and conviction. He didn't have the guts to stand before the residents of the 33rd Council District to admit his plan to sell them out, so he could treat himself to four more years of the same at City Hall.

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.

Josh Skaller, who is a friend of mine, has reported his recent fundraising results for the 2009 City Council race to replace Bill deBlasio:

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Officials from Josh Skaller's City Council campaign announced today that the candidate had exceeded fundraising targets for the filling period ending July 15 and is eligible for matching funds from the City.

Skaller, who is running to replace term-limited Councilmember Bill de Blasio in the Council's 39th district, raised nearly $55,000 to date. He is eligible to receive an additional $90,000 in matching funds in 2009.

"We've exceeded all of our goals for this period," said campaign treasurer Aaron Rudelson. "Josh has already qualified for the full amount of matching funds from the city, both in money raised and in in-district donations."

The campaign noted that many of the donations were raised in small amounts from voters throughout the 39th district, which stretches from Cobble Hill in the north to Borough Park in the south, and includes such diverse Brooklyn neighborhoods as Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Carroll Gardens and Kensington.

Devin Cohen, candidate for Broklyn's 1st Civil Court in the September 9th primary, has announced two new endorsements: Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and City Councilman David Yassky. All he needs is a Chris Owens endorsement and Devin will have three-of-a-kind from the 2006 CD-11 Congressional race that divided the district so much. Since Devin already got the endorsement of CBID, the club that Chris is now the president of, in some ways Devin already has unified the CD-11 candidates behind him. This brings Devin's endorsement list to the following:

# Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
# Assemblymember Joan Millman
# Assemblymember Jim Brennan
# State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
# State Senator Martin Connor
# Councilmember Letitia James
# Councilmember David Yassky
# District Leader Alan Fleishman
# District Leader JoAnne Simon
# District Leader William Saunders
# Independent Neighborhood Democrats
# Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
# Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn
# 57th A.D. Regular Democratic
Organization

While most of the country thinks 2008 is THE BIG YEAR for elections, New York City knows the really, REALLY big year will be 2009. Term limits is forcing out many city council reps, and all those term limited reps are looking to mob the runs for mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, etc. Some may be eyeing the Congressional seats that might get freed up when Congressional reps run for the Senate seat Clinton will vacate if she wins the Presidency.

But there is another mob of candidates: those trying to replace those term limited City Council candidates.

To date I have met scattered candidates for various City Council seats, including Costa Constantinides (who is on the steering committee of the Democratic Lawyers Council working on voting rights and is running in Astoria, Queens...with the name to match the district) and Steve Behar (running in district 19 in Queens).

But to date I have yet to have the chance to review the whole field running for a seat.

Last week Joy and I had a fundraiser for our friend, Josh Skaller. He actually had two parties that night, raising some $1500 that night, I am told. I suspect my party was the lesser of the two...but sounds like a good night overall for a solid grassroots candidate. For those who missed it, here is ANOTHER chance to meet Josh:

Come to a House Party for Josh Skaller, a Progressive Voice for City Council

Host: Wayne Brooks
Location: Wayne's apartment
262 Court Street #2/Butler Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 US
When: Sunday, January 27, 3:00PM
Phone: 347-645-0581

Dear Friends,

I'm having a house party at my apartment for my good friend Josh Skaller, who is running for City Council in Brooklyn's 39th District in 2009.

Josh is running for what will be an open seat now held by Bill de Blasio. The district covers much of Park Slope, Cobble Hill, and Carroll Gardens, along with parts of Windsor Terrace and Kensington.

Josh is President of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats (CBID), one of the most dynamic and influential political reform groups in New York. He also serves as a board member and field director for DFNYC (Democracy for New York City).