Brooklyn Democratic leader Vito Lopez’s quest to bring some respectability back to his borough’s political organization has brought him into conflict with fellow New York heavyweight José Rivera, the Bronx Democratic leader.

So far, the score seems Lopez 2, Rivera 0.

“We have a different interest than the Bronx has,” Lopez said simply. “It’s my obligation to advance the interest of Brooklyn, as it is the obligation of José Rivera to advance the Bronx’s interest.”

In mid-January, Lopez successfully persuaded Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) to delay the expected appointment of former assembly member and Bronx county clerk, Hector Diaz, as city clerk. Since retiring clerk Victor Robles was from Brooklyn, Lopez directed his borough’s Council members to block a vote which would have pulled the plum position out of Brooklyn.

Though he acknowledged that Diaz will probably be installed as city clerk eventually, Lopez said that he wanted to ensure that his delegation had a more active role in the process, and was eager to flex the borough’s muscle.

The delay seems a defeat, though a temporary one. Rivera believes he weathered it well.

“I didn’t have the votes, so it didn’t happen,” he said. “But did I lose face? No. You’ve got to move on.”

A week later, before Rivera likely had the chance to move on, Lopez struck again, undermining Rivera’s attempt to get a vote on Bronx Democratic Council Member Maria Baez to become deputy director of the city Board of Elections. With the two leaders unable to agree on a Democrat, the Council unanimously voted to appoint Manhattan GOP operative, Marcus Cederqvist, executive director. The Bronx lost its bid to vote on Cederqvist and Baez as a package.

Lopez said he instigated the political dust-up as a way to assert the Brooklyn Democratic delegation’s strength after years of fragmentation and scandal.

“I believe that everyone is now aware that you can’t take Brooklyn for granted,” Lopez said, “and everyone was surprised that Brooklyn stood together.”

Lopez has been moving to consolidate his power in the years since taking over for Clarence Norman, the once mighty party boss who was sent to prison along with State Supreme Court Justice Gerald Garson. But with his successes in the Council, and Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s (D) appointment of three Brooklyn judges to the State Supreme Court, Lopez said he sees the clouds lifting.

“What we have done is brought Brooklyn back and gained respectability,” he said. “Are we there totally? No. Are we in the process of getting there? The answer is yes.”

Rivera said his focus now is on empowering the Bronx political operation, which he calls the “step-child” of New York politics.

As for the showdown with Lopez over the city clerk job, Rivera said, “This thing is not over.”

And there may be future scraps between the two boroughs. The 2009 elections will draw a new batch of council members into the fray, as well as an opportunity for Brooklyn and the Bronx to wrangle over the selection of a new Council speaker and committee chairs.

Rivera described the situation in boxing terms, recalling how his upbringing on the hard streets of the South Bronx taught him to take a few punches and still come out on top.

“If I’m going to wear this title,” he said, “I have to have a strong chin.”