US satirist Buchwald dies aged 81

Buchwald said dying was easier than finding parking in Washington

Art Buchwald, a Pulitzer Prize-winning US writer and author of 33 books, has died at the age of 81, his son says.

Buchwald had been suffering from kidney failure and had checked into a hospice in February 2006, but checked himself out again several months later.

Known for his wry humour, he published his final book, Too Soon to Say Goodbye, in November of last year.

The book includes his plan for getting a big newspaper obituary: Don't die on the same day as a Nobel Prize winner.

Buchwald published his first column in 1949 when living in Paris, and went on to write thousands more after he returned to the US, many poking fun at Washington's elite.

That led to one of his most-quoted jabs: "If you attack the establishment long enough and hard enough, they will make you a member of it."

His Pulitzer Prize came in 1982, for distinguished commentary.

He suffered from kidney failure a year ago and went into hospice, where he was not expected to live long.

But he defied doctors' predictions, surviving for nearly a year despite refusing dialysis treatment.

He received friends including respected journalists Tom Brokaw, Walter Cronkite and Ben Bradlee at his hospice before choosing to move back home after several months.

Too Soon to Say Goodbye includes classic Buchwald observations, such as that dying is not as difficult as finding a place to park in Washington, DC.