Salon: William Safire's dubious legacy

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The departing Times columnist says he's proudest of his reporting. Looking over decades of his false accusations and erroneous assertions, it's hard to see why.

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By Eric Boehlert

Nov. 22, 2004 | Most newspaper reporters would really rather be columnists, free to pontificate instead of chasing down quotes. So why does New York Times pundit William Safire want to be remembered as a reporter? And given his track record, is that such a good idea?

Following the Monday announcement of his pending retirement after more than three decades of writing his influential "Essay" column, Safire, in interview after interview, signaled what he hopes his legacy will be -- reporting. "It's perfectly okay to do a straight, thumb-sucking column, and some do that," he told the New York Daily News last week. "I personally prefer to get on the phone and work some sources." Boasting to the Boston Globe, he added, "I helped move along the idea of opinionated reporting."

Top Washington columnists have always done some reporting, sprinkling their work with inside nuggets from trusted sources and making predictions about how Beltway conflicts will play out, with the added advantage of having talked to the senior players involved. But Safire is different for two reasons. The first is that he calls so much attention to his reporting, relentlessly reminding readers that he's working the phones. The more significant difference, however, is that Safire consistently goes beyond informed speculation, making serious accusations that have all too often turned out to be baseless. From Bert Lance to the war in Iraq, Safire has been wrong more times than you can count, yet the instances in which he has acknowledged his errors in print can probably be calculated on two hands. (He's written well over 2,000 columns.)

Like a pioneering blogger, Safire years ago started grabbing bits of information and wrapping them in the tightest partisan, what-if spin possible. When the accusation unraveled, he'd simply ignore the thud of his charges hitting the floor. The only difference is he wasn't tapping away on a laptop in his pajamas, but writing for the most prestigious Op-Ed page in the country.

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http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/11/22/safire/index.html
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two words: Good Riddance!

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1. You have that right! Billy Safire is nothing but a yellow journalist.....

...on the neo-conservative payroll. My suggestion to Safire is, "There's the door pal and don't let it slap you on the ass on your way out!"

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2. safire was one of the main sources of the Hilary hate hokum that has

infected the right wing. safire spoon-fed his conservative readers blatantly false and misleading "facts" continuously during Bill Clinton's two terms. Quite frankly, in addition to this article, I would absolutely LOVE to see several unbiased journalists take a crack at shitfire's journalistic record. Boy, just try saying that with a straight face; "safire's journalistic record." It could be a prime example of everything NOT to do in a course on journalistic integrity.