(Photo: Getty)

Councilman Domenic Recchia is dropping out of the comptroller's race and may be seriously considering a run for Brooklyn Borough President. We asked him about rumors that he would do so two months ago, before Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer entered the race, and he repeatedly told us we were "totally wrong."

And the circle of life is now complete: Senator Malcolm Smith, the Democrat who led his chamber during the last period of epic dysfunction, has joined the Independent Democratic Conference. The New York Post, not buying the breakaway caucus' message of bipartisanship, went with "Dem Smith to join GOP coalition."

Headline of the Day: "Diaz: Wait — anyone can form a conference? Hmm …"

While the New York Times profiled Democratic Senator Simcha Felder's decision to skip the IDC and just caucus directly with the Senate Republicans. Or, as one rabbi phrased it, “It was understood that he was a Democrat by name, but not in his views so much.”

The same publication discovered Mayor Michael Bloomberg attempt to recruit Secretary of State Hillary Clinton into the mayoral race a couple months ago. This is seen as a possible sign of dissatisfaction with Council Speaker Christine Quinn, thought to be his preference to replace him:

Told about the call on Monday, Ms. Quinn said, “Really?” as an elevator began to close, then added, “I don’t know anything about that.” The doors then snapped shut.

“Council members individually met with the chair of the commission, Carl Hum, before the process, and they’re asked what areas are most important to you, what makes the most sense,” one anonymous council member said to describe the initial redistricting process. “Those opinions can vary: ‘this is good for the community or this is good for me.’ Members of the speaker’s staff contact council members during the process….This is not the most independent redistricting commission.”

The Districting Commission is set to commence Project: Move Vito Lopez at 9 a.m today. To their credit, the meeting is open to the public. However, no public testimony will be allowed.

Corey Ortega, an aide to Assemblyman--and Manhattan's Democratic Party chair--Keith Wright, explained his run for the City Council on The Perez Notes:

...as did the outspoken Thomas Lopez-Pierre, a candidate for the same seat.  Below, you can find Mr. Lopez-Pierre saying things like "I'd rather not be an elected official than be an Uncle Tom, ass-kissing elected official," and blasting fellow candidate Mark Levine for being white. And that's not even the most aggressive part of the interview!