Former New York Senator Alfonse D'Amato Shows Vivacity for New York State Democrats

Alfonse M. D’Amato between Gov. David A. Paterson and Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand.

Has the political world turned upside down in the great state of New York? What else could explain former-New York Republican Senator Alfonse D’Amato's recent spate of appearances with powerful New York State Democrats?

Mr. D’Amato just happened to be one of the first to offer tribute to the newly ascended Governor of New York David A. Patterson when he was sworn into office on March 17, 2008.

In another example of extending a helping hand, Mr. D’Amato, according to the New York Times, "... when tensions erupted between Mr. Paterson and a Republican legislative leader, Mr. D’Amato quietly intervened, seeking to broker a peace."

And to add further credence to Mr. D’Amato's increasing propensity to be seen in the presence of New York Democrats: "Mr. D’Amato surprised many TV viewers, especially liberal Democrats, when he appeared alongside Mr. Paterson two weeks ago as the governor announced his selection for United States senator, Kirsten E. Gillibrand. The 71-year-old Mr. D’Amato, for whom Ms. Gillibrand had interned, beamed like the father of the bride, positioning himself on the dais more prominently than sitting members of Congress, legislative leaders, and even the senator who had ousted him, Charles E. Schumer.

Has Mr. D’Amato suddenly become a Democrat? No. Mr. D’Amato remains a Republican; who since his departure from the United States Senate has become a lobbyist; who uses all of his tenacity and doggedness to build and grow, Park Strategies, his firm's clientele.

Because, as the Times points out; Mr. D’Amato is taking his best shot as a lobbyist trying "to win favor with state Democrats, who for the first time since the New Deal control the governor’s office and both houses of the Legislature."

"Indeed, Mr. D’Amato, drawing on donors to his past campaigns, Long Island developers and other Republican stalwarts, has raised $250,000 for Mr. Paterson, making him one of the governor’s biggest fund-raisers."

Later this month, Mr. D'Amato will coordinate a $1,000 a person event to raise funds for current New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo; and in March Mr. D;Amato will be at it again as he similarly assists Democrat Steve Israel , Congressman for New York's 2nd District.

Assessing Mr. D'Amato's clout, Blair Horner, the legislative director of NYPIRG, the New York Public Interest Research Group says: “In terms of lobbying, he’s clearly an impact player,” “But he’s not in a King Kong class. So in a state where access is what lobbyists offer — which is now overwhelmingly blue — he has to scramble to project the kind of image that will help him attract business.”

Although Mr. D'Amato has made his presence felt increasingly with Democrats in New York State; he still regards himself as a stallworth Republican with extnsive and notable connections to such Republicans as John McCain and Peter King among other prominant members of the national GOP.

After his U.S. Senate defeat in 1998; the Times explains that Mr. D'amato "... became a lobbyist during the administration of his protégé, Gov. George E. Pataki. With Mr. Pataki’s exit approaching, Mr. D’Amato began hedging his partisan bets by raising hundreds of thousands for Eliot Spitzer’s Democratic campaign for governor in 2006 and praising him glowingly while conspicuously failing to endorse his Republican opponent."

The Times continues it's assessment of Mr. D'Amato's recent activities when it is explained that when: "Mr. Spitzer resigned last March, Mr. D’Amato wasted little time starting over, redirecting his attentions to Mr. Paterson. Aides say Mr. D’Amato has offered his advice, among other things, on how to achieve a mutual goal: fending off a possible 2010 challenge for the governor’s seat by Mr. D’Amato’s archenemy, the Republican Rudolph W. Giuliani."

The Times puts Mr. D'Amato's efforts in detailed perspective: "Yet for all the camera-hogging, private strategizing and check-bundling Mr. D’Amato has done, his firm, Park Strategies, reported just $1.7 million in billings for its work at the state level last year — less than a quarter of the business done by Albany’s top firms. Mr. D’Amato has also tried unsuccessfully to hire prominent Democrats, including Cindy Darrison, who was Mr. Spitzer’s longtime fund-raiser and now has the same job with Mr. Paterson. Short of that, he has frequently shared clients with Patricia Lynch Associates, a top lobbying firm with close ties to the Democratic Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver."

Mr. D'Amato has become somewhat of a lobbyist survivor; scurrying from opportunity to opportunity to stay in business; the Times provides its closing assessment: "All in all, though, Mr. D’Amato’s clout seems a shade of what it was during the Pataki administration. Then, even deals that spawned negative publicity — Mr. D’Amato was famously paid $500,000 for making a single telephone call that helped a client win a lucrative lease from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — only bolstered his reputation for getting results. Mr. D’Amato had less luck working for NRG Energy, a power company that proposed building a $1.6 billion advanced-technology coal plant near Buffalo. Though Mr. D’Amato billed the company $240,000 from 2007 to 2008, NRG’s plan would have required some $200 million in annual subsidies from the state."