Two great stories about the late William Safire fr...

2009-09-29T19:43:21.945-04:00

Two great stories about the late William Safire from his obituary at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA):

1) Safire criticized the Anti-Defamation League for being part of the successful effort to win a pardon for fugitive businessman Marc Rich from President Bill Clinton. He called for Abraham Foxman to resign "to demonstrate that ethical blindness has consequences."

Foxman called Safire, and the conversation produced a memorable lead. "You never made a mistake in your life?" an angry Foxman shouted over the phone. "What about when you worked for that anti-Semite Nixon?"

Safire insisted that Jewish organizations needed to "take a hard look at the ulterior motives of their money sources," urging them to "set out written policies to resist manipulation by rich sleazebags and to reprimand or fire staff members who do not get with the ethical program."

But Safire also called Foxman a "good man" and backed away from calling for the ADL director's head, although he said the Nixon jibe was "unfair."

He closed on a conciliatory note: "Abe dropped by my office a few minutes ago to take back that unfair telephone crack and answer questions about who sucked him into this mess, which takes some zip out of my conclusion. We wished each other a happy Passover."

2) [Safire] was especially close to Ariel Sharon. In a Jan. 3, 2005 column, Safire asked Sharon, who was buffeted by criticism from the right for setting the stage for the evacuation of settlers from the Gaza Strip, "And do you expect to be prime minister one year from today?"

He recorded Sharon's reply as, "Why only one year?"

A year and a day later, Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke and was replaced as prime minister by Ehud Olmert.

Interesting. Thanks!

2009-09-28T13:43:37.220-04:00

Interesting. Thanks!

Comments on Rabbi Jason Miller - Blog: William Safire

Two great stories about the late William Safire fr...

Interesting. Thanks!