ering ▁Polit icians ▁Who ▁Are ▁Dest roy ing ▁America ▁( 2 0 0 9 ). ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁P ey ser ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁a ▁Jewish ▁family , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Aust rian - born ▁Ruth ▁( née ▁Soph ie ▁Sta end ig ) ▁and ▁German - born ▁math ematic ian ▁G ide on ▁P ey ser . ▁Her ▁parents ▁met ▁while ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁army ▁and ▁later ▁settled ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁Andrea ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Queens , ▁with ▁an ▁older ▁sister , ▁Rh ona ▁( who ▁died ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ) ▁and ▁graduated ▁from ▁B ays ide ▁High ▁School . ▁She ▁attended ▁the ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁at ▁New ▁P alt z ▁and ▁Alb any . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁P ey ser ' s ▁first ▁job ▁in ▁journal ism ▁after ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁college ▁was ▁a ▁temporary ▁assignment ▁for ▁the ▁Alb any , ▁New ▁York , ▁b ureau ▁of ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press . ▁ ▁She ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁Virginia ▁b ureau , ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁brief ▁time ▁at ▁CNN , ▁and ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁The ▁T ampa ▁Trib une . ▁ ▁P ey ser ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Post ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁column ist ▁after ▁her ▁coverage ▁of ▁an ▁alleg ed ▁sex ▁sc andal ▁concerning ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁M ets ▁during ▁spring ▁training ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0