The liberal lion of Illinois politics, Abner Mikva, is back on the campaign trail these days, working for Democratic Senate Candidate David Hoffman. I wanted to share one of my favorite Abner stories with all of you – and to update it as well.
Most of you know Abner as the longtime liberal congressman from the Chicago area, who went on to a career in the White House and on the federal bench. But he loves to tell the story of his first foray into politics.
The year was 1948, and Abner walked into the office of his powerful Democratic War Committeeman and said he wanted to volunteer for Adlai Stevenson and Paul Douglas. The Committeeman took the cigar out of his mouth, glared at Abner and asked, "Who sent you?" When Ab said, "Nobody sent me", he put the cigar back in his mouth and said, "We don't want nobody that nobody sent."
That statement has become infamous for those of us who have been involved in liberal Democratic politics in Chicago. When Abner endorsed David Hoffman for U.S. Senate, he said the same thing – Nobody sent David Hoffman.
If you don't know him, David Hoffman is the former Inspector General for Chicago who did a kick-ass job taking on the powers that be in the city. Hoffman is very progressive – pro gay rights, pro gay marriage, against the troop buildup in Afghanistan, and strongly pro choice. He's also honest – and the only candidate who can beat Mark Kirk in the fall. I urge you all to read about him (he's been endorsed by the Chicago Tribune, the Sun-Times, along with every single major newspaper – yes every last one – in the state. The Tribune called him "an incorruptible man who tells the truth to power."
If you vote in Illinois, I urge you to read about David Hoffman on his Web site, www.hoffmanforillinois.com. This man is the real deal.
See Abner Mikva speak about David here: