Reuters Pictures
William Safire receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President George W. Bush (R) in the East Room of the White House in Washington, December 15, 2006. Safire, the former Richard Nixon speechwriter who went on to become known for his columns on politics and language in The New York Times, has died, the newspaper said on Sunday. Safire, who was 79, died at a hospice in Rockville, Maryland, the Times said. An aide to Safire said he had suffered from cancer.