Age of Reason

Safire gets a Failing Grade

Salon has the goods on Safire.

Over the years Safire has clearly abused the column -- by presenting highly questionable propositions as if they were accepted facts, making baseless accusations against public figures (often with the insinuation of criminality).

My own favorites: his columns On Language, whose entire premise is refuted in Steven Pinker's book The Language Instinct; and his series of tirades during the last election cycle about how Wesley Clark was just being run for President as a placeholder, ultimately to be replaced by the evil Hilary. Chortle. To quote John Dean:

"If a pundit sticks his neck out, he ought to have it chopped off if he's consistently wrong,"

posted by conchis @ 7:48 AM