FOR THE RECORD

Just when Hillary Clinton thought she was through with facing unpleasant questions from her left wing about her vote to authorize President Bush to invade Iraq, another longshot challenger is seeking to renew the debate.

Bill Van Auken, a former reporter for this paper who is running for the U.S. Senate on the Socialist Equality Party's line, last week contacted Ms. Clinton, Republican Senate nominee John Spencer and debate organizers to demand that he be included in televised debates in Rochester and the city on Oct. 20 and 22, respectively.

"Tens of thousands of New Yorkers signed petitions to place my party and my name on the ballot because they oppose the war in Iraq, the attacks on democratic rights and the assault on living standards that are being carried out by both major parties," Mr. Van Auken stated in an Oct. 2 letter. "They have a right to have their concerns heard in a public candidates' debate."

Ms. Clinton ducked demands by her challenger in the Democratic Primary, Jonathan Tasini - whose opposition to her stemmed largely from her initial position on the Iraq War - that she debate him. New York 1 opted not to hold a pre-primary debate between the two of them because Mr. Tasini failed to meet one of the station's threshold requirement - that candidates raise at least half a million dollars.

Mr. Van Auken, whose fundraising lags considerably behind Mr. Tasini's, wasn't, um, buying that standard, stating in the letter, "Once again, these kind of arbitrary and grossly undemocratic criteria are being applied to exclude any real alternatives and narrow the political debate to what is acceptable to the corporate donors who finance both the Democratic and Republican campaigns."

Mr. Spencer, whose pre-primary debate with K.T. McFarland degenerated into a scrum of personal invective, continues to support the war while Ms. Clinton is urging a revised strategy by the Bush Administration. Mr. Van Auken is calling for immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops.

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Train Conductor Michael Carrube, a candidate for the presidency of Transport Workers' Union Local 100, announced Oct. 4 that he'll be heading up the Fresh Start slate.

Mr. Carrube declared his candidacy in July. His slate is the third to challenge the incumbent Local 100 administration.

Rail and Bus United, headed by Barry Roberts of Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority, and Union Democracy, headed by Ainsley Stewart of Car Equipment, launched their campaigns last month.

Local 100 President Roger Toussaint hasn't officially announced his reelection campaign, but told this newspaper his administration will run for a third term under the One Union slate.

Other Fresh Start candidates include Train Operator Eddie Creighton, a 24-year veteran, running for secretary treasurer, and Station Cleaner Joseph Bermudez, running for recording secretary.

Vice presidential candidates for the Fresh Start slate include Miguel Mora, Car Equipment; Marvin Holland, Stations; Kenneth Powell, Maintenance of Way; Rick Gonzalez, Rapid Transit Operations; Robert Frascati, Surface Bus; and John Day from Private Bus Lines.

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Sanitation Workers and their union recently raised $13,162 to help cover the expenses of colleague Ryan McCormick, a 13-year veteran who had to leave his job in mid-July because he has cancer of the esophagus.

Shop stewards from the Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association and employees at the Queens West District Garage made the event a success by using such tried-and-true events as a raffle and a "Hit the Supervisor With a Pie" booth. It also featured food and drink concessions - with refreshments donated by local businesses - and a post-barbecue 16-team softball tournament, which was won by Brooklyn South District 12 Garage.

SanWorker McCormick is married and has three children.

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Library workers employed by the New City Library have voted 40-13 to unionize under the banner of New York State United Teachers, the union announced Oct. 6.