William Kristol's First Sentence As NYT Columnist: "Thank You, Senator Obama"

William Kristol today published his first column as a New York Times op-ed writer. Titled, "President Mike Huckabee?," it begins:

Thank you, Senator Obama. You've defeated Senator Clinton in Iowa. It looks as if you're about to beat her in New Hampshire. There will be no Clinton Restoration. A nation turns its grateful eyes to you.

But gratitude for sparing us a third Clinton term only goes so far. Who, inquiring minds want to know, is going to spare us a first Obama term? After all, for all his ability and charm, Barack Obama is still a liberal Democrat. Some of us would much prefer a non-liberal and non-Democratic administration. We don't want to increase the scope of the nanny state, we don't want to undo the good done by the appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, and we really don't want to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory in Iraq.

For me, therefore, the most interesting moment in Saturday night's Republican debate at St. Anselm College was when the candidates were asked what arguments they would make if they found themselves running against Obama in the general election.

Read the full piece here.

UPDATE: Greg Sargent at TPM notes that Kristol is already going to need a correction -- his first column contains a mis-attributed quote.