Michael D. Barone (born September 19, 1944) is an American conservative political analyst, historian, pundit and journalist. He is best known as the principal author of The Almanac of American Politics, a highly detailed reference work on Congress and state politics; it has been published biennially by National Journal since 1972. The Almanac has been called "definitive and essential for anyone writing seriously about campaigns and Congress." Barone is also a regular commentator on United States elections and political trends for the Fox News Channel. In April 2009, Barone joined the Washington Examiner, leaving his position of 18 years at U.S. News & World Report. He is based at the American Enterprise Institute as a resident fellow. He has written several books on American political and demographic history. Background Barone was born in Highland Park, Michigan, the son of Alice Katherine (née Darcy) and Charles Gerald "Jerry" Barone, MD, a surgeon. His father was of Italian descent and his mother of Irish descent. He graduated from Cranbrook School in 1962. He received a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1966 and a law degree from Yale Law School in 1969, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. After law school he clerked for Judge Wade H. McCree of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Although he has been conservative as an adult, in the 1960s he worked as an intern for Jerome Cavanagh, the Democratic mayor of Detroit. He was also a supporter of George McGovern in 1972. In 1975 Barone married Joan Shorenstein. She died at age 38 in 1985 after a 10-year battle with cancer. Political analyst Barone is a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, where he writes a twice weekly column and contributes to the newspaper's blog. His column is syndicated by Creators Syndicate. He is also a frequent contributor during Fox News Channel's election coverage. His political views are preedominantly conservative. Barone has said he is not religious, although he is sympathetic to and respectful of social conservatives. His commentary has largely focused the topic of immigration. Perhaps partly as a result of being a descendant of Italian immigrants, Barone takes an optimistic view of contemporary immigration into the US. He says that Hispanic immigration has parallels to the Italian experience and that, given the right circumstances, current and future Hispanic and other immigrants can become Americanized