ad info

CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 ASIANOW
 U.S.
 U.S. LOCAL
 ALLPOLITICS
  TIME
  analysis
  community
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

 CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast
 pagenet

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:
 TIME on politics Congressional Quarterly CNN/AllPolitics CNN/AllPolitics - Storypage, with TIME and Congressional Quarterly

D'Amato to pen advice column

March 9, 1999
Web posted at: 4:13 p.m. EST (2113 GMT)

NEW YORK (AllPolitics, March 9) -- Former New York Republican Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, who lost his Senate seat in last November's election, will now be serving up his special brew of political advice for a political magazine.

D'Amato will dispense advice in a column entitled "Ask Alfonse" in George magazine. The topics will be in response to reader questions sent via e-mail (sendald@aol.com) or by U.S. mail to the magazine's New York City office.


In this story:

A political 'Dear Abby'
Offers advice to Hillary Clinton
Kennedy: No desire for elected office

D'Amato was introduced Tuesday as George's newest columnist by the magazine's editor-in-chief, John F. Kennedy Jr.

"The column will be a monthly opportunity for readers to send in their questions about politics and about life and learn from a man who brought a hurly-burly authenticity to a job that is too often obscured in artifice," Kennedy said of his new columnist.

A political 'Dear Abby'

"His politics always reflected just who he was -- real, tough and with no apologies. And as such we think he's uniquely suited to be George magazine's very own Dear Abby," Kennedy said.

D'Amato
Former Sen. Al D'Amato has joined the staff of George magazine  

D'Amato was first elected to the Senate in 1980. He earned the nickname "Senator Pothole" for aggressive constituent service and was known for his combative politics.

He was defeated in November 1998 by Rep. Chuck Schumer of Brooklyn in one of 1998's most high profile and nastiest races. It may have hit its low point late in the campaign when D'Amato called Schumer a "putzhead" in a private meeting with Jewish supporters. The senator later apologized.

"Putz" is Yiddish for penis and is used to deride someone as a fool. D'Amato is Roman Catholic, while Schumer is Jewish.

Offers advice to Hillary Clinton

The nonpartisan George has a paid circulation of more than 400,000. It was co-founded by Kennedy four years ago and its premiere issue was published in September 1995.

In a sample of what may come in his column, D'Amato offered some unsolicited advice to first lady Hillary Clinton, who is deciding whether to run for New York's other Senate seat, which is being vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan in 2000.

"If you're undertaking the challenge because you want to make a difference for the people of New York and if you feel you can make a difference, then I say, 'Run, Hillary, run,'" D'Amato said. "But running for Senate should not be about advancing your name for history."

D'Amato is not the first Washington insider to sign up with George. He joins former Clinton adviser Paul Begala and former Newt Gingrich spokesman Tony Blankley at the magazine.

Kennedy: No desire for elected office

D'Amato is also employed as a TV commentator for the Fox News Channel and has started his own consulting group, Strategic Planning Strategies.

He offered no advice for Republican presidential hopefuls, but conceded that Texas Gov. George W. Bush was the "overwhelming favorite."

"I think people are looking for the nonpolitician," D'Amato said. "I think that is the problem Al Gore is going to face."

Kennedy was asked about his own political ambitions, including the possibility of being New York City mayor, but Kennedy made it clear he had no desire for elected office at this time.

"Not today. Not while we have such an exciting roster of columnists," Kennedy said.

"If it changes into something else in a number of years, great, and if it doesn't, I have no complaints."


RELATED STORIES

D'Amato looking at New York Senate race (2-21-99)

Schumer topples D'Amato in New York Senate race (11-3-98)


RELATED SITES

George magazine Web site



MORE STORIES:

Tuesday, March 9, 1999

Search CNN/AllPolitics
          Enter keyword(s)       go    help


© 1999 Cable News Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.
Who we are.