8. Alphonse D’Amato

Good ol’ Senator Pothole. He’s keeping in touch with his congressional buddies and seems to remain a mover and shaker even without a public office. The former U.S. Senator managed to get variances to build his Lido Beach house bigger than zoning laws usually allow. He’s a close friend and advisor to Gov. Pataki, and still has the juice to expedite business deals. This being a big election year, expect D’Amato to have a major role at the Republican nominating convention in New York City.