[Mia T]

The NYT search engine spits out the following excerpts for keywords 'safire' and 'tummler.' (PINCHed bucks required for the works in their entirety.) Either ring a bell?

1. Essay; Forward Together, Again
   
   September 6, 1993, Monday
   
   By WILLIAM SAFIRE (NYT); Editorial Desk
   
   Late Edition - Final, Section 1, Page 15, Column 1, 724 words
   
   
   
   DISPLAYING FIRST 50 OF 724 WORDS -In his story of "The Purloined Letter," Edgar Allan Poe showed that the best place to hide anything from avid searchers is to leave it in plain view. In the same way, President Clinton conceals his strategy from probing pundits by laying it out for all to hear on...
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Essay; 'Focus' Hocus-Pocus
   May 17, 1993, Monday
   
   By WILLIAM SAFIRE (NYT); Editorial Desk
   
   Late Edition - Final, Section A, Page 17, Column 6, 711 words
   
   
   
   DISPLAYING FIRST 50 OF 711 WORDS -In the White House, when your rat ings start to slip especially when your "negatives" are abnormally high -- you put forward two reasons. The first is that you are "failing to communicate." This admits no misdirection or wrongdoing -- merely that your press operation has flopped, or that...

[dennisw]

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00615F735550C748DDDAC0894DB494D81

This would be the one. Bill Clinton was described as a neck tie salesman. Who would keep on laying out and showing you neck ties until you bought one. Safire called him a tummeler as necktie salesman

If you are very interested I'll get after a friend of mine who has Lexis/Nexis access. The job is easier now
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Essay; 'Focus' Hocus-Pocus
... as the Great Tummler -- the quick-thinking, fast-talking ... tie salesman sells ties. Not the way a ... another bunch of ties. How about this -- ...View free preview

May 17, 1993 - By WILLIAM SAFIRE (NYT) - Editorials and Op-Ed - Op-Ed - 711 words