Bill Of Goods

Bill Kristol calls out Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats for being cowardly and foolish because they don't push harder for limits on purchases and ownership of semiautomatic weapons. Oddly, he offers no criticism of Republicans for making gun control a third-rail issue. Is he implying that, unlike Democrats, they just don't know any better?

Fickle Bill

Dan Quayle's ex-chief of staff brought Sarah Palin to the dance in 2008 and then split. Now who's going to take her home?:

Even founder of the conservative "Weekly Standard" magazine Bill Kristol, who helped push Palin into the spotlight in 2007, said this week he does not think she should be the GOP standard-bearer.

"She has a very shrewd judgment about politics and policy and very good instincts -- but she hasn't done what Reagan ... did, which is really educate himself over a number of years," Kristol said. “I think she's unlikely to be the Republican nominee, and to be honest I think she probably shouldn't be the Republican nominee for president.”

A Jug Of Wine, Moose Stew, And Thou

From the leaked manuscript of an ex-Palin aide, an explanation of how John McCain, and the GOP, ended up with Sarah Palin:

["Weekly Standard" editor Bill Kristol had] gone to Alaska on a cruise in June, 2007 and sat across the table from the sexy future of the Republican Party. Much as President Bush, when looking into Vlad Putin‘s eyes, saw his soul, Kristol understood that deliverance for his beloved GOP lived inside this stunning, five foot five inch Aphrodite from Wasilla. Due Diligence was conducted over moose stew, red wine, and winky charm. He did not need to ask about foreign policy or current event expertise. He saw a winner. Kristol began bongo-drumming her out-Mavericking John McCain virtues in every venue at his disposal... In public and to his contacts within the McCain camp, he made it known that she was not only legitimate, but the only intelligent choice if McCain hoped to have any chance in the upcoming election.

Hat tip to The Daily Dish

Politics Again Ends At Water's Edge, For Now

Dan Quayle's former chief staff, "Weekly Standard" editor, and leading neocon Bill Kristol is among those who are giving President Obama support and cover on foreign policy, especially when it comes to his escalation of the Afghanistan war.

Reshaping Liberalism Without Bill Kristol

From neoconservative William Kristol's last column in the New York Times:

Can Obama reshape liberalism to be, as it was under F.D.R., a fighting faith, apologetically patriotic and strong in the defense of liberty? That would be a service to our country.

The Washington Post says Kristol was hired for a year and has left the Times at the end of the year by mutual agreement. The Times does disclose this:

"It seems to me there were a lot of Times readers who felt the Times shouldn't hire someone who supported the Iraq war," said [editorial page editor Fred] Hiatt, adding that he wants "a diverse range of opinions" on his page.

At least for a while.