And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN, the Axviles, with your

host, David Axelrod.

When I was in Washington, there were a few shrewd or political minds in Steve Israel, a

Congressman who was elected in 2002 as a Democrat from a swing district on Long Island and

traditionally been Republican.

He went on to become head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and just

to prove how shrewd he was, he decided in advance of the 2016 election that it would

be his last and retired to become a novelist.

Now he's wielding a satirical pen to shine a bright light on the gun lobby and some

of his cowardly colleagues.

Steve will be a fellow at the Institute of Politics in the fall, but I sat down with him

the other day to talk about his career in his book.

Steve Israel, it's so good to see you again, no longer a member of Congress, an author

now and we'll talk about that.

And I should say where the noise you hear in the background is authentic Chicago CTA

trains here, which you may hear periodically as we move through our discussion.

So talk to me about Leviton and growing up and your family.

Well first of all it's great to be with you.

The presence of a master and honored to be doing it.

You know I kind of am a product of America's quintessential suburb.

My folks lived in New York City.

That came home from the army.

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