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William Safire Quotes

William Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter.

He was a long-time syndicated political columnist for The New York Times and the author of "On Language" in The New York Times Magazine, a column on popular etymology, new or unusual usages, and other language-related topics from its inception.

✵ 17. December 1929 – 27. September 2009
William Safire photo
William Safire: 5   quotes 4   likes

Famous William Safire Quotes

“Never assume the obvious is true.”

William Safire

“Decide on some imperfect Somebody and you will win, because the truest truism in politics is: You can’t beat Somebody with Nobody.”

William Safire

As quoted in The Quotable Politician https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/159228132X, William B. Whitman, Global Pequot (2003), p. 60.
Letter to H. R. Haldeman

“I'm willing to zap conservatives when they do things that are not libertarian. I was the first to really go after George W. on his treatment of prisoners.”

William Safire

"William Safire to End Op-Ed Run at N.Y. Times" by Howard Kurtz in The Washington Post (16 November 2004) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52678-2004Nov15.html.
Letter to H. R. Haldeman

“Americans of all persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady – a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many of her generation – is a congenital liar.”

William Safire

From an essay in The New York Times (“Blizzard of Lies”) http://archive.is/TgeI published 8 January 1996
Letter to H. R. Haldeman

“In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism.”

William Safire

Speech written by Safire for Spiro Agnew (11 September 1970).
Letter to H. R. Haldeman

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