Handicapping the Race for Kristol's Times Slot

(NEWSER) - The New York Times has found its replacement for William Kristol’s column from the right—Ross Douthat of the Atlantic. Douthat, 29, will start mostly online next month but will eventually appear on Mondays opposite Paul Krugman, reports the Columbia Journalism Review, quoting a Times email. He’ll also blog for the paper, which he’d been doing for the Atlantic. More»

U2 singer joins Grey Lady's ranks as columnist

(NEWSER) - Bono may have finally found what he’s looking for: the New York Times’ op-ed section will be the U2 singer’s new print home, Radar reports. Editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal announced his newest columnist last night, telling Columbia's School of Journalism that the activist/sunglasses aficionado will pen between six and 10 columns a year, free of charge. More»

Dinner with vocal conservative critics

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama broke bread with America's most influential conservative opinion shapers last night. The Washington Post reports he was guest of honor at a dinner party given by columnist George Will, along with Bill Kristol, David Brooks, and Charles Krauthammer. Rumors were buzzing that Rush Limbaugh would attend, but a source tells the Huffington Post he was not at the table. No word yet on the topic of dinner conversation. More»

Pro-Palin camp fed columnist 'a constant stream of poison'

(NEWSER) - As Bill Kristol used his New York Times column to relentlessly praise Sarah Palin and simultaneously blast the McCain camp's handling of her, he was far from an objective observer, writes Scott Horton in the Daily Beast. Kristol regularly received inside information from the McCain team's pro-Palin contingent, then used it in a series of increasingly critical columns. "Simply put, the pundit meddled in the campaign he was commenting on," says Horton. More»