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Alphonse D'amatoAlphonse D’Amato has been known for many things over the past forty years. He’s been referred to as the “Austin Powers of Island Park,” singled out for his habit of headline grabbing antics on the Senate floor, known for his stubborn pursuit of goals and as an expert fundraiser. This unique ability to raise more money than anyone else has kept D’Amato in the center of politics six years after his departure from the Senate. “How is Alfonse D’Amato still influential?” asks William Powers, chairman of the state (New York) Republican Party. “I’ll tell you how: He helps me raise money.” D’Amato has made a career of raising money – for himself and others. Powers is a former aide to D’Amato. The Long Island native, D’Amato, also was the money-making machine behind New York Governor Al Pataki’s election. Congressman Eliot L. Engel, Bronx Democrat: “If people only sent him $500, he’d call back and say, ‘Why didn’t you send a thousand?’ If they sent a thousand, he’d call and say, ‘What’s wrong with your wife? Why can’t she send a thousand, too?’ You gotta love that. It’s so New York.” In 1995 and 1996 D’Amato was the chairman of the National Republic Senatorial Committee and dominated his Democratic counterparts. While acting chair, D’Amato raised over $54 million – more than double the Democrats, who raised $25 million. |