Abner Mikva

He is a long-time political supporter of Senator Barack Obama. A New York Times article (June 4, 2008 - "Man in the News" by Michael Powell) noted that Mikva offered Obama a law clerk position in his judicial office after Obama graduated from law school. Obama declined the offer. Mikva became Obama's political advisor and suggested he learn more effective public speaking from observing preachers. The NY Times article quotes Mikva: “He listened to patterns of speech, how to take people up the ladders. It’s almost a Baptist tradition to make someone faint, and, by God, he’s doing it now.”