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Borough Presidents . . . what is it they do again? Perhaps they discuss that very issue when they get together:

The five New York City borough presidents agree on many issues: The need for more affordable housing; their common struggle to control development and traffic in their communities, and their desire to preserve their office budgets from further cuts.

. . .

All five chief executives — Staten Island’s James P. Molinaro, Marty Markowitz of Brooklyn, Adolfo Carrion of the Bronx, Helen Marshall of Queens and newly elected Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer — gathered yesterday in the Roadhouse restaurant in Sunnyside [Staten Island] for one of their semi-regular meetings.

Hizzoner In California Not Running For President

Because of course New York City mayors always travel to California for photo-ops with other independent-minded elected officials:

Mayor Bloomberg outlined an ambitious environmental agenda for New York City yesterday while standing next to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a move designed to raise the mayor’s national profile as speculation mounts about his potential bid for the White House in 2008.

. . .

Schwarzenegger, who is facing reelection this fall, said Bloomberg is “not only a fantastic mayor of New York City, but he’s also a great national leader.”

When a reporter asked whether Bloomberg was in California to test the waters for a 2008 presidential bid, Schwarzenegger responded facetiously.

“What? I can’t believe that. This is unbelievable,” joked the governor, drawing laughter. Asked if he would urge Bloomberg to run for President, the governor said he and the mayor haven’t discussed the issue. But he described himself as a “big fan” of Bloomberg’s because he said the mayor is “interested in getting the job done.”

“I admire Mayor Bloomberg,” Schwarzenegger said. “He’s my soul mate. He’s the man.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg announced several environment-related initiatives, including creating an “Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability” that will evaluate the environmental soundness of the city’s land-use plans.

First the New York City Department of Homeland Security, then the War on Poverty, now the local version of the EPA. Next up, expect the mayor to announce a stem-cell initiative . . .

Were It Not For 9/11, Mark Green Might Not Have Sucked So Much

A sudden flash of self-awareness for Mark Green:

At a small bar in Lower Manhattan, Mark Green stepped to the microphone before a few dozen supporters shortly after 10:30 p.m.

“As Deni has often remarked privately, and occasionally publicly, I am not a very good politician,” Mr. Green said, standing next to his wife, Deni Frand, and son and daughter. He proceeded to concede the race for the Democratic nomination for attorney general to Andrew Cuomo, a former federal housing secretary and the son of a three-term governor.

. . .

Things could have turned out differently for Mr. Green. Many expected him to defeat then-political novice Michael Bloomberg for mayor in 2001, but the terrorist attacks of September 11 shifted the dynamic of the race, and a late endorsement by the hugely popular Mayor Giuliani threw the election to Mr. Bloomberg.

“If 9/11 didn’t happen, he might well have become the mayor of New York,” the president of Brooklyn, Marty Markowitz, a Green supporter, said.

There was of course that small issue of Green being a lousy politician, but it’s important never to forget . . .

Clarke To Represent Brooklyn’s 11th Congressional District

Eager to return Cynthia McKinney to Congress, Democratic voters in the 11th Congressional District elected Yvette Clarke to represent the party in November’s general election. For all intents and purposes this sends her to Washington:

A black city councilwoman won the racially charged primary for a Congressional seat in central Brooklyn yesterday, beating back a challenge from a white councilman to win a seat created nearly four decades ago to increase minority representation in Congress.

The councilwoman, Yvette D. Clarke, 41, narrowly beat three opponents to capture the seat, which has been held by blacks since the 1968 victory of Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress.

This year’s campaign attracted national attention because of the strong run by the white councilman, David Yassky, whose candidacy raised questions about race and representation.

With all precincts reporting, Ms. Clarke led with 31.2 percent of the vote to Mr. Yassky’s 26.2 percent, according to unofficial returns tallied by The Associated Press. State Senator Carl Andrews, who had the backing of many Brooklyn Democratic officials and Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, had 22.9 percent. Chris Owens, the son of the incumbent, Representative Major R. Owens, who is retiring, received 19.6 percent.

Early this morning, Mr. Yassky conceded the race. “I congratulate Yvette Clarke on her victory,” he said in a statement.

By way of a parting gift, the Observer offers some tidbits from the campaign trail:

Dozens of black teenagers and twentysomethings were dancing to loud reggaeton and enjoying the late hours of a block party. It may not have been an ideal setting for the super-white, Oxford-shirt and rimless-Prada-wearing [David] Yassky to search for votes.

But Mr. Yassky plunged ahead, weaving his way past the revelers. He reached the D.J. booth and grabbed the microphone to introduce himself. What he heard back were jeers and hisses.

“We don’t want him!” one woman kept yelling.

. . .

[Carl] Andrews began to wade into the small crowd. Then a D.J. spotted the large frame in the suit among the more causally dressed partygoers and eagerly announced his arrival.

“Brother Al Sharpton is in the House!” the D.J. said.

One of Mr. Andrews’ handlers waved to the D.J., hoping to correct him.

With the microphone still held to his mouth, the D.J. said, “Oh no, not yet? Sharpton isn’t here yet? Then who’s that?” The D.J. was pointing to Mr. Andrews.

. . .

[Chris Owens] was also the least experienced politician in the race. After arriving at the Brooklyn station of 94.7 WPRN Friday night, Mr. Owens was turned away from a pre-scheduled interview because he had not bought advertising from the station.

Later, his campaign spokesman said that they yielded and bought the ads. The interview aired.

Finally, mercifully put to rest: Comic Relief . . . Emphasis On Relief; Close Race; Score One For Opportunism; The Post Oppo Research Machine Chugs Along; See, The Thing Is Was, Senior Year Was Just Such A Blur For Me . . .; Excitement!; Well, That’s A Relief!; Pay To Campaign!; Recipe For Hitting The Front Page Of The Sunday Times: Just Add Sharpton; You Know You’ve Jumped The Shark When . . .; Unite To Stop White Individuals!; The Sad Thing Is That It Was Probably A Carefully Crafted Statement; How Do We Put This? Let’s Just Say Identity Politics Still Exists . . .; Barack Obama: Some Guy They Stuck In There; Nothing Against Your Policies, It’s Just The Color Of Your Skin.

This Ad Buy Kills Islamic Fascists

The debate over whether officials should move the date of the state’s primary election away from September 11 is tricky. Frontrunners call campaigning on a day of great pain and suffering unseemly while challengers argue that by eschewing the grand democratic traditions of grandstanding press conferences, baby-kissing and ad buys, the terrorists have won:

On the eve of today’s primary election, there were no major campaign rallies, no endorsements, nary a political press conference. The best way to see the leading candidates was to watch their ads on television or read the fliers they sent in the mail.

The memory of a national tragedy trumped campaign politics in the city yesterday, as party hopefuls missed a key opportunity to reach undecided voters by heeding the unspoken protocol of avoiding the stump on September 11. The 2001 terrorist attacks interrupted a mayoral primary scheduled for that day, and an election that falls on the second Tuesday of September will never be far away from the 11th.

Amid this year’s memorials, some candidates and civic groups are questioning whether the state should move the party primaries away from the anniversary of the attacks.

“I think unfortunately we need a discussion about moving the primary,” a candidate for Congress in Brooklyn’s 11th district, Christopher Owens, said. Entrenched in a close battle to succeed his father in the House, Mr. Owens kept a light schedule yesterday but did stump at a subway stop in the district in the morning and later appeared at an anti-war commemoration.

. . .

By not campaigning on September 11, candidates are avoiding the perception of politicizing the tragedy. But aides to several hopefuls suggested the practice had gone too far. Even in reporting that John Spencer had suspended his GOP Senate campaign for the day, his spokesman, Robert Ryan, noted that there is nothing “Osama and the Islamic fascists would like to see more than that they’ve affected the democratic process in America.”