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

host, David Axelrod.

If there is an iconic figure in American broadcast journalism, it would have to be Tom Broca,

who was the free years anchor of the NBC Nightly News, today's show host, and Correspondent

who's covered some of the most momentous historical events of our time.

His story is a great story in and of itself, as you will hear we sat down the other day

to talk about all this.

Tom Broca, always good to be with you.

You are kind of an iconic figure in this country and in the news industry, but like so many

people who are iconic figures, you started off in a small town in South Dakota, and probably

few people would figure that you would be in the toast of New York City.

So tell me a little bit about that and how you ended up getting on this path, this journey

that you've taken.

Well, I think it's the American story.

I'm not unique.

I think so many people have started just as I did, and made their way to the social, political

and cultural and financial capital of the world in New York City, or to Washington, DC,

or wherever.

In my case, I had a very working class upbringing.

My dad was really abandoned by his family in the third grade.

One out to kind of live on his own was taken in by a Swedish immigrant who taught him how

to drive a team of horses to overcome, dig a well, and then he made a transition to heavy

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