Safire described himself as a " libertarian conservative . " A '' Washington Post '' story on the ending of his op-ed column quotes him on the subject : I 'm willing to zap conservatives when they do things that are not libertarian . After the 9/11 attacks , I was the first to really go after George W. on his treatment of prisoners . After voting for Bill Clinton in 1992 , Safire became one of the leading critics of Clinton 's administration . Hillary Clinton in particular was often the target of his ire . He caused controversy in a January 8 , 1996 , essay when , after reviewing her record , he concluded she was a " congenital liar " . She did not respond to the specific instances cited , but said that she did n't feel offended for herself , but for her mother 's sake . According to the president 's press secretary at the time , Mike McCurry , " the President , if he were not the President , would have delivered a more forceful response to that on the bridge of Mr. Safire 's nose "
9/11 attacks
September 11 attacks
William Safire