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

host, David Axelrod.

Renaissance Man is an overworked phrase, and particularly when it comes to journalists,

but it's pretty apt when you think about Frank Bruney, the National Colonies for the New

New York Times. Frank has done just about everything that you can do in reporting. He's

been a war correspondent, a movie critic. He's covered Congress, the George W. Bush campaign

for President. He's written books on subject as varied as pedophilia and the scandal

in the Catholic Church, and college admissions and the pressures and anxieties that young

people feel today as they apply to college. And lately, he's written extensively about

this crazy 2016 campaign. I sat down the other day to talk to Frank about his career, some

of the incredible stories he's covered, and some of the characters who are populating

our public scene today. Frank Bruney, it's really a pleasure to have you here, have you

at the Institute of Politics and have you here today. I am getting ready for this conversation.

I reviewed your career, and it's kind of a dizzying travelogue of interesting places and

experiences. So I just want to run through some of that. There's so much to talk about

in terms of where we are as a country right now, but I want to talk about where you've

been as a journalist. First of all, did you raise the New York and the suburbs of New York?

Did you always know you wanted to be a journalist? No, not at all. I always liked writing, and

it was always kind of a hobby during school. When you have your extracurricular activities,

mine tended to revolve around writing, that and swimming. But I didn't until I was in

college, I don't think I began thinking, oh, maybe journalism is a career. And even in

college, it still felt more like a hobby. And what about it attracted you?

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