All eyes on Safire's possible successor
From Mary Snow
CNN
NEW YORK (CNN) -- This week, Tom Brokaw leaves NBC's anchor desk. In March, it'll be Dan Rather's turn to depart at CBS.
But there is a change in the guard at The New York Times that is not getting as much press -- even though it's a coveted and influential spot -- William Safire's departure from the op-ed page in January. After 31 years, Safire is stepping aside as the conservative corner of the Times, ending what many view as a "must read" column.
"His shoes are going to be very big shoes to fill," says Alex Jones, director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University.
"He is an iconic figure. He has a following, especially a following of people who are very strongly supportive of Israel. He is a man who is widely respected on both sides of the political spectrum because he gives a lot of information."
The 74-year-old Safire, a former speechwriter for President Nixon, is an award-winning journalist.
In 1978, he won a Pulitzer Prize for columns questioning the financial dealings of President Carter's budget director, Bert Lance.
In the Reagan administration, he was outspoken about Nancy Reagan's role in her husband's administration, viewing it as inappropriate. He once called Hillary Rodham Clinton a "congenital liar."
In 2004, The New York Times remains the target of steady criticism from conservatives such as Rush Limbaugh for being too liberal. And Safire's replacement is sure to be watched.
"I think it's important for the Times to have a conservative to follow Safire to protect the image of The New York Times as a newspaper that reports without fear of favor and does not have a liberal bias," says media critic Ken Auletta. "I think it would be unfair to The New York Times if they choose someone other than a conservative to fill that spot or they decide not to fill that slot."
The New York Times says it hasn't named a successor. One media analyst speculates that it might not but will keep op-ed columnist David Brooks as its conservative voice.
Times writer John Tierney, seen more as a moderate conservative, is said to be a potential candidate. Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Krauthammer of The Washington Post is another name mentioned. So is David Frum, who wrote speeches for President Bush and is best known for coining the "axis of evil" phrase.
