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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Times Columnist William Safire Dead at 79

Ex-Nixon speechwriter, Pulitzer winner was forceful voice on right

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(Newser) – Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist William Safire died today outside Washington, the paper reports. He was 79 and suffered from cancer. A onetime speechwriter for Richard Nixon, Safire, a self-described "libertarian conservative," used his background as a reporter and love for English usage to punch up his op-ed column, which he wrote from 1973 to 2005, and books of history and fiction.

The author of the Times Magazine "On Language" column from 1979 until just a few weeks ago, Safire was a legendary wordsmith who coined the phrase "nattering nabobs of negativism." The bestselling novelist was also "a pugnacious contrarian," colleague Robert D. McFadden writes in his obit. "Along the way, he incurred enmity and admiration, and made a lot of powerful people squirm."

New York Times columnist William Safire gestures during a roundtable discussion on NBC's
New York Times columnist William Safire gestures during a roundtable discussion on NBC's "Meet the Press," February 27, 2005, in Washington, DC. Safire died today at 79 after battling cancer.   (Getty Images)
William Safire of the New York Times speaks as New York Daily News Washington Bureau Chief Tom DeFrank listens during a taping of
William Safire of the New York Times speaks as New York Daily News Washington Bureau Chief Tom DeFrank listens during a taping of "Meet the Press," October 28, 2007.   (Getty Images)
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William Safire discusses his book "In Lincoln's Hand" with a History Channel interviewer and reads an excerpt.   (bantamdell)

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13 comments
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polstroad
Sep 27, 09 3:56 PM CDT
Is he the same guy who also wrote the weekly column on language for The New York Times, as well as working all those years for Time Magazine, where I have subscribed but have never found his writing? Reply
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Stasis
Sep 27, 09 4:14 PM CDT
Say hello to Ken Lay... Reply
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-1
IN RESPONSE:
JonmarkP
Sep 27, 09 8:02 PM CDT
LOL - excellent!
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Cat-Lover
Sep 27, 09 5:53 PM CDT
Safire was my standard long before the NYT Style books fell from fashion. His compreshension of language, the English language particularly, will be missed in today's return to the 14thCentury mentality. Reply
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Jayster999
Sep 27, 09 5:56 PM CDT
Safire was an eloquent voice of reason and a class act. He wasn't Neo-con or far right, he was independent-minded and a way of getting to the heart of the issues without having his mind made up before the facts were in. Simply a great political columnist. Reply
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