Arthur Finkelstein
From SourceWatch
Arthur Finkelstein is a political consultant/spin doctor working primarily for New York governor George Pataki, and the New York Republican Party. Although Finkelstein is a secretive character, Berkowitz lists some of his background:
- Finkelstein has had a long and colorful political career that has seen him work with some of the most reactionary politicians both at home and abroad. He runs Arthur J. Finkelstein & Associates, and during his thirty-year career he has worked for President Reagan and President Nixon. In addition to spearheading the then-little-known Pataki's 1994 victory over Mario Cuomo, he was also a top adviser to Alfonse D'Amato and Jesse Helms during their Senate careers. But he hasn't always led his clients to victory -- in 1996 he was a major, if well-hidden, consultant to Senator Bob Dole's losing presidential campaign.
- In addition, Finkelstein was also an early director of Terry Dolan's groundbreaking political operation, the National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC).
- Finkelstein is an international player as well. According to AP's Humbert, "Finkelstein has been increasingly active in Israeli politics. He helped Benjamin Netanyahu during his 1996 campaign for prime minister and he is an adviser to the current Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon."
- And, you can add one more element to Finkelstein's reality; he is gay, yet he's worked for a gaggle of gay-bashing Republican Senators including Lauch Faircloth (R-N.C.), Jesse Helms (R-N.C), Don Nickles (R-Okla.) and Sen. (Bob) Smith (R-New Hampshire), all of whom voted against legislation banning discrimination against gays while Finkelstein was working for them.
- Finkelstein is also Jewish, but that didn't stop him from using anti-Semitism during a 1978 South Carolina congressional race between Republican Carroll Campbell and Democrat Max Heller.[1]
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External Resources
- Bill Berkowitz, Hunting Hillary Clinton: Arthur Finkelstein, long-time GOP political consultant, to lead campaign to defeat Hillary re-election and derail her presidential hopes", DissidentVoice, February 17, 2005.
- Adam Nagourney, "G.O.P. Consultant Weds His Male Partner," New York Times, April 9, 2005.
