(photo: capitalregion.ynn.com)

Upper East Side Councilwoman Jessica Lappin will kick off  her campaign for Manhattan Borough President today.

State Senator Liz Krueger used some fightin' words to describe why she wrote an op-ed touting Democratic accomplishments during their brief time in the majority after Governor Andrew Cuomo pooh-poohed them. "I'm frustrated by it, which is why I wrote the op-ed," she said on Capital Tonight. "I don't know why. Perhaps he wasn't the governor then and he wasn't paying that much attention to the actual bills that passed in Democratic-controlled years versus Republican-controlled years....I really think the governor might need a fact-checker on staff."

Council Speaker Christine Quinn's first union endorsement arrived in the form of the UFCW, and although they also backed Mayor Michael Bloomberg's reelection bid.

For what it's worth, the New York Post disapproves of Ms. Quinn getting this endorsement.

Meanwhile, the race to replace Ms. Quinn's leadership position is getting fully underway.

Rev. Chuck Norris, an influential pastor in southeastern Queens, blasted Senator Malcolm Smith for partisan disloyalty ant other things, declaring, “I think Malcolm is a traitor to this borough, and really, should be fired.” Mr. Norris, who strongly backed neighboring Senator Shirley Huntley immediately after her criminal indictment, seemed to subsequently cool down in regards to Mr. Smith, however.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's push for a professional soccer team in his borough--possibly at the expense of Queens--did not go over well with a certain Astoria councilman:

"Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., called it a declaration of war.

'Brooklyn is already in the process of stealing our . . . Civic Virtue statue and moving it to Green-Wood Cemetery, so what’s next, the Mets?' he fired back. 'I better go and lock up the Unisphere.'

And Gov. Cuomo bemoaned the concession declaration of Republican State Senator Steve Saland, one of the four GOP votes for gay marriage in 2011:

“Senator Stephen Saland has been an exemplary representative for the Hudson Valley whose leadership has made New York a better place. Steve has been a true partner who always put what was right before politics, and worked with me during the past two years to rebuild this state and restore the people’s faith in government. Throughout his career, he championed issues that directly affected New Yorkers, from strengthening protections against domestic violence, to putting in place an all-crimes DNA databank. As a result of his courage, tens of thousands of couples here in New York State have the freedom to marry whom they choose. Steve is a public servant of remarkable character, integrity, and courage and serves as a model for our collective aspirations of how our elected officials should perform. It is unfortunate that an elected official who stood so strong for equality, as Steve did, was not able to survive in today’s political environment. I thank Steve for his work on behalf of the people of the state of New York and his friendship, and give my warmest wishes to him, his wife Linda, and their family as they enter this next phase.”