Mickey Kantor
31st United States Secretary of Commerce
In office April 12, 1996 – January 21, 1997
Preceded by	Ronald Harmon Brown
Succeeded by	William M. Daley
Born	August 7, 1939 (1939-08-07) (age 68) Nashville, Tennessee
Political party	Democratic

Michael "Mickey" Kantor (born August 7, 1939 in Nashville, Tennessee) is an American politician and lawyer. After serving as the Clinton-Gore campaign chair in 1992, Kantor was appointed United States Trade Representative, holding that office from 1993 to 1997. He was, in 1996 and 1997, United States Secretary of Commerce.

Born in Nashville, he holds a B.A. in business and economics from Vanderbilt University (where he pledged to Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity), earned in 1961. He then served four years as an officer in the United States Navy, and subsequently earned a J.D. from Georgetown University in 1968. Initially, Kantor worked for the Legal Services Corporation, providing legal assistance to migrant farm workers. It was during this time that he first met Hillary Clinton. From 1976-1993, he practiced law with the Los Angeles law firm of Manatt, Phelps, Phillips & Kantor (now Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP), and was active in Democratic politics and fundraising. He also co-founded the Los Angeles Conservation Corps.

An advocate of free trade, Kantor, as Trade Representative, led U.S. negotiations that created the World Trade Organization (WTO), such as the Uruguay Round, and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He also engaged in organizating the Miami Summit of the Americas and three meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, including the U.S.-hosted First Leaders' Meeting. With the European Commission of the newly formed European Union, he expanded the trans-Atlantic market.

Kantor practices law at Mayer Brown, an international law firm based in Chicago.

Kantor has been married to broadcast journalist Heidi Schulman since 1982, following the death of his first wife, Valerie Woods Kantor in a 1978 plane crash in San Diego^[1][2]. He has children Leslie, Douglas (from the first marriage), and Alix (from the second marriage); and grandchildren Ryan, Jackson, and Zack. Another son from Valerie, Russell, died in a single-car crash in October, 1988, while a senior in high school.^[2]

In the 1993 documentary film The War Room directed by Chris Hegedus, Kantor was filmed speaking with James Carville and George Stephanopolous about the polling results from Indiana during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign of which he commented "Those people are shit...how would you like to be a worthless white nigger?"^[3] On May 1, 2008 the statement became an issue in Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign after various commentators raised the issue.^[4]

False Controversy?

D.A. Pennebaker, the director of "The War Room," has since said his film has been doctored.

"He does not say that. He does not say that," said Pennebaker, after viewing the clip.

According to him, initial expletive referred to the anticipated reaction in the Bush White House to the fact that Ross Perot's polling numbers were holding strong.

"What he says is he’s surprised Perot’s numbers are holding," said Pennebaker in a brief phone interview. "He says they must be shi**ing in the White House."

The second expletive appeared to have been entirely fabricated, with new audio dubbed onto the original movie, Kantor claims.÷

"A thousand people saw that film in theaters and didn't think" the second expletive had been used, he said. "It's very clearly understandable. It's not like it was in Bulgarian."Pennebaker: Clip Doctored