William Safire may or may not be your cup of tea as a political pundit, but his writings on the political uses of language are both enlightening and entertaining. Thus I’m pleased to note the release of an updated and expanded version of his The Language of Politics, which was originally published in 1968 and was most recently revised in 1993; the new version has been retitled Safire’s Political Dictionary. While you’re visiting your neighborhood bookstore or amazon.com to pick up several copies of Buell and Sigelman’s masterful Attack Politics, be sure to grab a copy of Safire’s new edition as well. It’s not a book you’ll want to read from cover-to-cover, but it’s a great reference work and an excellent way to while away an hour or two on a rainy afternoon.