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Presidential preferences Local business leaders explain why they’re writing checks to candidates
BY JASON SUBIK Gazette Reporter

    As Marcus Hanna, 19th century political boss and adviser to President William McKinley, once said: “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money and I can’t remember what the second one is.”
    In Hanna’s day, the business of politics was funded with unregulated contributions from America’s business titans and its political machines. Deals were made and campaigns won and lost inside the proverbial “smoke-filled rooms” in cities like New York, Chicago and Albany.
    Today the federal government requires every dollar given to and spent by candidates for president to be reported to the Federal Election Committee. The FEC then posts the information on the Internet at http://www.fec.gov, complete with the names of contributors and dates of contributions.
    According to the FEC, of the many presidential hopefuls, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has so far raised the most money from individuals living within the greater Capital Region.
    From the local area, Republican Giuliani has raised $220,446, $23,269 more than U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., the Democrat who has raised the most here. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is in a far-distant third place with $42,754. Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney has raised $31,605, former Sen. John Edwards has received $29,898 and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has garnered $21,495.
    The Capital Region runs contrary to Democrat-dominated New York state as a whole, from which Clinton has raised more than all of the Republican candidates combined.
BUSINESS LEADERS’
CHOICES
    Local business leaders were mostly split in their support between New York native Giuliani and twice-elected U.S. Sen. Clinton. Some even appeared to support both.
    William Pompa, the owner and president of Mr. Subb, which has 24 sandwich shops in the Capital Region, contributed $1,000 to Giuliani on July 27. He said he supports Giuliani because he views him as a straightforward crime fighter.
    “When somebody asks [Giuliani] a question, he answers it,” Pompa said. “I think he did a tremendous job in New York City. It used to be that going into the city, it was a pretty scary place at times. Now it’s totally different.”
    Roger Saillant, the outgoing president and chief executive officer of Latham-based hydrogen fuel cell company Plug Power, said he contributed the maximum amount allowed for an individual candidate during a presidential primary, $2,300, to both Clinton and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, another Democrat. He said he likes the energy positions of those two candidates.
    Richardson served as the Secretary of Energy under Sen. Clinton’s husband, President Bill Clinton, and has been considered by political pundits as a possible vice presidential running mate for Hillary Clinton.
    “[Clinton] is a strong supporter of New York businesses and is especially committed to upstate New York and our new technology companies like fuel cells,” Saillant said. “Richardson has had a lot of experience building bridges for the United States abroad. I think he would also be helpful on sustainability issues based on his record in New Mexico on the environment, where he has been a great supporter of our fuel cell technology.”
    Howard Gross, president of Albany-based office document digitizer E-BizDocs, said he also supports Clinton and gave her $1,000 Sept. 13.
    “I think she’s got a track record that she’s proven in her limited time in office. She’s supportive of a lot of the initiatives that I like,” Gross said. “She’s [supportive] of veterans’ benefits. My business employs just under 50 people in the Capital District, a number of them vets, a number of them disabled.”
    Ed Lewi Associates President Edward Lewi and his wife, Maureen Lewi, contributed a combined $4,600 to Giuliani. Edward Lewi said his Clifton Park-based public relations firm has never done campaign work for any political candidates and never will. He said although he has been willing to support both Republican and Democratic candidates in the past, he was inspired to support Giuliani in 2008.
    “I’ve never gotten mixed up in politics, other than when I see somebody I think would be good,” Lewi said. “I personally know the mayor. I’ve been out with him socially and I like some of the things he did [during] 9/11.”
    Stewart’s Shops Chairman William Dake and his wife, Stewart’s Vice President Susan Dake, contributed a combined $4,600 to Giuliani. William Dake, however, said he has grown ambivalent about the political process as a New York voter.
    “I’m a social liberal and a fi scal conservative and in today’s world its very hard to find those people. I don’t think they can get elected,” Dake said. “We have nit-picked everybody so extensively its fairly hard for anyone to be an aggressive leader.”
    Albany Attorney E. Stewart Jones has found no shortage of candidates to support. He gave the maximum contribution of $2,300 to fellow triallawyer and personal friend Democrat John Edwards in March, then $1,000 to Giuliani on June 12 and finally $700 to Romney on June 25.
    Jones said he plans to support Clinton for president, although he still likes Giuliani on the GOP side.
    “I think she is the smartest person in the race on either side. It’s time in this country for us to give serious consideration to a woman president,” Jones said. “I think Giuliani is a leader. He is going to be the Republican nominee. He is a very forceful and capable leader, but I just don’t think it’s going to be the Republicans’ year in 2008.”
    Nationally, Democratic Party presidential candidates have raised a combined $241 million, $66 million more than Republican candidates, who have a total of $175 million.
    Clinton has the highest total, with $89 million raised. Obama ranks second with $79.4 million, Romney has raised the most of any GOP candidate with $61.6 million and Giuliani is fourth overall with $46.7 million.
    Jones said he respects Romney’s experience as a businessman but soured on him when he changed some of his views to “accommodate the Republican evangelical far-right.”
    “Giuliani has not done that. He is a moderate Republican. I don’t respect someone who modifies their positions simply to accommodate a fringe component of the party, even though they play a heavy role in the primaries,” Jones said. “But, I am very offended to challenges to [Romney’s] Mormon faith as a reason he should not be trusted or voted for. I think that’s an outrage.”
    Law firm partners Paul Harding and Victor Mazzotti, of Niskayuna personal injury law firm Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, both contributed $2,300 to fellow trial lawyer Edwards, and either already have or soon will do it again for Clinton, Harding said.
    “[Our Clinton contribution] may have been in the form of a general donation, although it may have been a late donation, something in the last few weeks. It may not have popped [onto the FEC Web site yet],” he said. “We do support various candidates in both parties. The general theme, for me personally, deals with individuals’ rights. When I’m ready to pull that lever that’s the last thought that goes through my mind.”
    Some leaders of companies divided contributions between candidates. Donald Duke, the chairman of Albany-based BBL Construction Services, gave $2,300 to Clinton, while BBL Construction Services Vice President George Scaringe gave $1,000 to Giuliani. Neither man responded to requests for comment for this story. The BBL Development Group owns the 369 acres of the Vista Technology Campus in Bethlehem.
    Federal law allows citizens to contribute up to $28,500 to national parties per year and $5,000 to political action committees, but no more than $108,200 total during any two-year period, with caps of $42,700 combined for all federal candidates and $65,500 to all PACs and parties.
    PACs may contribute up to $5,000 to each candidate and an unlimited amount to national parties. PACs are prohibited from accepting money from corporate or union treasuries and must raise all money from individual contributors.
    Clinton has raised $746,350 from non-party-affiliated PAC contributions, the most of any candidate. She also has the most from authorized party committee transfers, with $10 million. Giuliani has $259,691 from PAC contributors and $1.9 million from authorized party transfers. Romney has received $298,700 from PACs and $20,159 from authorized party transfers. Obama has received $6,775 from PAC donations. Edwards has received none. Not all candidates have accepted PAC money.
    A review of contributions to PACs active in the race indicate few local contributors.
    General Electric spokeswoman Jan Smith said GE’s PAC has not donated any money to presidential candidates this election cycle and likely won’t.