His newfound interest in investigating the way judicial nominations are awarded by the Democratic clubhouse is praiseworthy, even if belated.

"The fact that you see Bob Carroll, a longtime employee of the city, stand up and challenge the Democratic clubhouse, which hasn't happened in more than 30 years, you start to begin to see the cracks in the clubhouse."

Abe Beame, an ancient veteran of the Democratic clubhouse, was elected in 1973 under the motto "he knows the buck" and was promptly overwhelmed by the city's fiscal crisis.

THINK of the city's Democratic political clubhouse as a melting iceberg.

More precisely, he taught them enough American history to pass the citizenship examination, and as soon as they did he escorted them to the local Democratic clubhouse to register to vote.

Ruth W. Messinger and the Rev. Al Sharpton campaigned together enthusiastically last night at a rally at a Democratic clubhouse in Queens.

Disappointingly, the judicial corruption scandal that has lately rocked Brooklyn's Democratic clubhouse has yet to inspire the robust reform movement needed to rock reformaverse Albany.

Mrs. Gresser, who learned her politics in the P.T.A.'s of Queens and the old Democratic clubhouse of her husband, was among the first and most visible public figures to attract the Mayor's ire.

But his legal knowledge combined with his independence from the patronage politics of the borough's Democratic clubhouse makes him a better bet than the three other candidates for this seat.

Dinkins was a touch-and-feel politician, a product of the Democratic clubhouse whose secret weapon was his Rolodex.