Home > William Safire

Safire is an alumnus of Syracuse University having graduated from there in 1951.

Before he became a journalist, Safire was a speechwriter for Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew; he wrote Agnew's phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism." From 19551955 is a common year starting on Saturday. see link for calendar) Events January events January 2 Panama president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated. January 19 The Scrabble board game debuts. February events February 8 Nikolai Bulganin ousts Georgi Mal to 1960Events January-February January 1 Independence of Cameroon January 9 Aswan High Dam construction begins in Egypt January 11 Chad declares its independence. January 14 Ralph Chubb, the gay poet and printer, dies at Fair Oak Cottage in Hampshire. January 23, he was a public relationsPublic relations (PR) is the practice of conveying messages to the public through the media on behalf of a client, with the intention of changing the public's actions by influencing their opinions. PR practitioners usually target only certain segments of executive. Previously he had been a radioFor other uses see: radio (disambiguation Radio is a technology that allows the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of light. Radio waves Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, and are and television producerA Television producer oversees the making of television programmes. In television, creative control usually rests with the producer. Some notable television producers Dick Wolf series Law & Order Law & Order: Criminal Intent David Angell sitcoms Frasier W and a United States ArmyThe Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. As of fiscal year 2002 (FY02), it consisted of 480,000 soldiers on active duty and 555,000 in reserve (350,000 in Army National G correspondent.

In 1978, he won the Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a United States literary award given out each April. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in the United States. The prize was for commentary on Bert Lance 's alleged budgetary irregularities. However, subsequent investigations by congress could find no wrong doing.

Safire was one of the leading critics of the Bill Clinton administration. Hillary Clinton in particular was often the target of his ire. He caused a mild tempest when he called her a "congenital liar"; Hillary responded that she didn't feel offended for herself, but for her mother's sake.

He is also a consistent and avowed partisan in the defence of the state of Israel.

Upon announcing Safire's retirement as an editorial columnist Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., publisher of The New York Times stated:

The New York Times without Bill Safire is all but unimaginable, Bill's provocative and insightful commentary has held our readers captive since he first graced our Op-Ed Page in 1973. Reaching for his column became a critical and enjoyable part of the day for our readers across the country and around the world.

Whether you agreed with him or not was never the point, his writing is delightful, informed and engaging." [2]