 One of Washington 's most respected President-Watchers, Thomas M. DeFrank is a veteran political journalist and author. His reporting has been praised as riveting by The New Times. The New York Times ranked him as one of the country's best political ghostwriters. And former President Gerald R. Ford calls him "one of the finest journalists I have ever known. Everyone I know feels the same way: you are fair, trustworthy and professional." As Washington bureau chief for The New York Daily News since 1996, he directs coverage of the nation's capital for the country's second-largest metropolitan daily newspaper. The 2000 presidential campaign was the ninth he has covered in 32 years as a Washington reporter. He has reported on the resignation of one President, the impeachment of a second, and was an eyewitness to two assassination attempts against a third. DeFrank was Newsweek's senior White House correspondent for a quarter century and also served as deputy chief of the magazine's Washington bureau for twelve years. Assigned to the White House beat since 1970, DeFrank has reported on the activities of Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. He is second only to Helen Thomas of United Press International in terms of longevity on the White House beat. DeFrank has appeared on several public affairs television programs, including Washington Week in Review, Larry King Live, Crossfire, Talk Back Live, The Charlie Rose Show,Reliable Sources, CNN Inside Politics, The Beltway Boys, Fox News, and C-SPAN. He is the only newsmagazine correspondent to win both of the White House Correspondents' Association awards for distinguished Presidential reporting. He has also shared in several other reporting awards, including the National Magazine Award for his coverage of the 1992 Presidential campaign, and the Overseas Press Club's award for his reporting of the 1987 Reagan-Gorbachev summit. DeFrank was on active duty at the Pentagon from 1968 to 1970 as a public affairs officer with the office of the Secretary of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, he was a reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Bryan ( Texas ) Daily Eagle and Minneapolis Star.
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