THE POLITICS OF CHRISTINE

Christine Quinn's protestations that she has never even considered a run for NYC's mayorship hold about as much water as Hillary Rodham Clinton's claims that she's not thinking about the presidency. After all, when you hold the second-most-powerful political position in the largest city in America, how can you not eye the other side of City Hall and wonder how you'd rearrange the desk drawers? Or repaint the walls. Just this week, the New York Times printed a fluffy piece about how the speaker has redecorated her office with shades of blue and an oil painting formerly housed at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

It would not be her first promotion in city government. She managed the successful campaign of Thomas K. Duane, the first out gay city council member in 1991, and then served as his first chief of staff. She took over his seat when he moved on to the state Senate in 1998. And although she would obviously be the first gay person in the mayor's chair, she would not be the first in the mayor's office.

Finance Commissioner Martha Stark and Human Resources Administration Commissioner Verna Eggleston are both out. Recent chumminess with Bloomberg is another sign she might be jockeying for positive public opinion. After leading a fight against the mayor's West Side development plans, this month Quinn has thrown support behind Bloomberg's proposed recycling plant on the Hudson River near the meatpacking district. Also, they recently have made joint announcements regarding issues of budget, spending reform, domestic violence and other initiatives. Alan Van Capelle is executive director at Empire State Pride Agenda, the statewide lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgendered rights organization. He gushed glowingly about Quinn recently.

"I think Christine Quinn is now an icon for our community," Van Capelle said. "She represents the possibility and potential that every gay and lesbian person in this city has if they are not afraid to be who they are." He said she is also a role model for those outside the LGBT community. "It's also interesting because she got where she is not because she is a lesbian but because she is smart as hell, and she knows politics probably better than anyone in the city. Those two attributes combined with her generous and compassionate spirit really are a winning combination. I admire her-and there aren't a lot of people in politics that I admire. But I really do admire Christine Quinn," Van Capelle said.

"Even in terms of reforms, she was decisive when she had to fire 60 staffers, she was decisive about reining in the unwieldy budget process, she was decisive in reforming the ways lobbyists interact with members of the City Council," he praised.

Michael Lavelle is rally director for Heritage of Pride Inc., the nonprofit responsible for many Pride festival events this weekend. The organization chose Quinn and NYC social activist and restaurateur Florent Morellet to lead the parade as grand marshals this year. When asked why Quinn was chosen, Lavelle spoke of her career first and community affiliation second.

"We have admired and supported Christine Quinn since she worked in Thomas Duane's office years ago. She's a very progressive leader. She is innovative in terms of all sorts of issues in New York City life, in terms of passing the budget, working with the mayor, improving the budget process-while at the same time protecting all New Yorkers. Her record as a councilwoman is exemplary," he said, "and the fact that she's a lesbian makes us proud."

Local and state gay groups seem to be thrilled to pieces with the City Council Speaker, but (to paraphrase the old saw) as a mayoral candidate-how would she play in Astoria?

But even if we were to take on face value her statements of disinterest in the mayor's office, it's clear that this is a political career with legs. Perhaps her sights are not set on the mayoralty at all, but a statewide or federal job. Van Capelle drew the line at guessing Quinn's next move, but seems to think anything is possible.

"I'm not going to speculate on what I think Christine Quinn can do politically after the speakership, except to say I think she has an enormous array of options and whatever she chooses to do, she'll be formidable," he said. But he, like Quinn's public face, doesn't seem to be in any hurry.

"Whatever she does, she just got into the Speaker's chair and I'd like to see her stay there for awhile," Van Capelle said.