UPDATED: Bono Replacing Bill Kristol at New York Times? First Column Appears

Well, not quite replacing Kristol just yet, but the U2 frontman will be writing op-eds for the Times and its Web site -- and podcasting -- starting this Sunday (see update below). The fate of Bill Kristol, meanwhile, at the paper should be decided any day. His one-year contract is now up.

The Times announced in a release this morning that Bono, the singer, writer and anti-poverty activist (among other things), has been invited to write op-ed columns for the paper, beginning this Sunday in print and online. He will also do podcasts and cover a broad range of subjects. A few lines are on the horizon and soon it will be Sunday, Bono, Sunday.

"What an honor," said Bono. "I've never been great with the full stops or commas. Let's see how far we can take this."

"Bono is a great addition to our Op-Ed line-up," said Andrew Rosenthal, editorial page editor of The New York Times. "He is an extraordinary man who thinks deeply about his art and the major issues confronting the world. His writing will reflect that."

Actually, this news first emerged last fall when Rosenthal chatted about it while speaking at Columbia University. At that time, he spoke of six to ten columns for Bono during the year with subjects including, besides political issues, the music of Frank Sinatra.

Asked what Bono would be paid, he said then, "nothing."

The Times observed in its release: "Bono has been a leader in the fight against AIDS and poverty in Africa since his initial involvement in the debt cancellation campaign of 1998, when he began lobbying governments across the G8 to free poor countries from odious debts so they could spend more on health and education." And it went on from there to detail his other work for the ONE foundation and much else.

Maybe you'd like to speculate on what his first column or general tone might be? Kristofian? Will it top Paul Krugman? Even Better Than The Shrill Thing? Or is he merely, as he sang in his "New York" song, "staying on to figure out my mid life crisis."

UPDATE SUNDAY: Irish troubadour kicks off his new op-ed gig not with a political issue type thing, as some expected, but an ode to...Frank Sinatra, or "Mr. Frank," as Dylan memorably addressed him. Talks about the painting Frank gave him, and voices improving with age, and authenticity, etc....Author's blurb reads: "Bono, lead singer of the band U2 and co-founder of the advocacy group ONE, is a contributing columnist for The Times."

Greg Mitchell is editor of Editor & Publisher and his most recent book on Iraq and the media is "So Wrong for So Long."

Comments

[klondiker]

Dump Kristol. And, if you really really need another conservative (as if David Brooks weren't enough), get Peggy Noonan. You may disagree with her, but at least, unlike Kristol, she can put together a decent sentence.

[ElBruce]

> Asked what Bono would be paid, he said then, "nothing." <

Well, at least they can afford him.

[ajax2]

Why not Bonzo?

[Larkinvos]

Dump Kristol, hire Nat Hentoff.
Problem solved.

[lwaldmann]

Please God, I promise to stop abusing myself, show him the door.

Lary Waldman

[larry278]

The sound of all toilets being flushed at the NYT's new building & the 3 minute drop in water pressure will announce WK's fate. No job is complet unless the paper work is done correctly.

[larry278]

Typo: complet should read complete or the archaic, atavistic, compleat. Mae & Maxie Mae Cooper.

[MarcoEsquandolas]

Bono had one of the better lines i've heard in recent years (and i'm not sure if it was his originally), saying something to the effect of, "America isn't a country, it's an idea."

[Doofus]

How Bill Kristol got the job in the first place:
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=7b687811-caed-4ded-bda3-66d9c1b11f71

The New Republic
'The Fifth Columnist' - Gabriel Sherman
How Bill Kristol landed that 'Times' gig.
January 24, 2008

[mikeodd]

Somewhere in heaven, Joe Strummer is smiling.

[bayside]

The grey old lady needs to give us the facts, no opinion , with back up. They slipped into opinion ,gossip, ,foxnews style and it hurt them..I still trust times more than any other newspaper ...

[stp1993]

the times has never been an honest paper. it played a crucial role in the build up to the cia's overthrow of Jacabo Arbenz in Guatemala at the united fruit company's behest. paper should have opinions, they're just shouldn't pretend they don't (ala Robert McChesney's "The Problem with the Media" - a must read!). That being said, I agree with you that the times till strikes me as more trustworthy than the other profit-driven media outlets.

[talkthetalk]

Bill Kristol writes drivel, week after week. Talks about himself, how wonderful and misunderstood the GOP is. All opinion, no facts. Even other conservative columists argue factually, which I respect even if I disagree. Kristol writing is fact-lite vanity and ultimately useless.

[maureenkeene]

Who can take Bono seriously after those pictures of him partying with two bikini clad teenagers?

[Lulubelle1]

Link to photos being referenced, please?

So... the lead singer of arguably one of the world's most successful bands over the past 20 years is (again, show us) caught in a photo with two females in bikinis? In what way does that impugn his character? (BTW, He's a devout, but very open-minded Christian who's been married to the same woman for 20+ years, and spends much of his "free" time advocating for the world's disadvantaged peoples.)

Giving the sketchy nature of your comment, nothing has yet been shown which would keep someone from taking Bono's humanitarian efforts seriously... By all means, enlighten us.

[Colmore]

Some people take Georgie seriously, after being photographed DRUNK at the Olympics. He was being helped to a seat by 3 men. You could say he was photographed with bikini-clad young women, also. They were the sand volleyball team!!

[BlueKansas]

Actually, there were scandalous pics poted online about a month ago. They looked completely out of character for Bono, and I imagine Allie gave him a good bollocking that is what probably led to his "I can't stand me" comments this week.

I love the guy. He's a phenomenal musical talent and a great champion of the poor. His accomplishments speak to the kind of man he is. He's been very very good at straddling the leftwing-rightwing debate, too, rubbing elbows with liberals, conservatives and neocons. We all know that he's probably pretty liberal, but he keeps it to himself most of the time.

Bono gave a commencement address at Penn State a few years back, and no speech ever made me so proud and happy to be an American. It was pure poetry, that speech.
I'll be looking forward to reading his op-eds.

[Lane4411]

Bill Kristol, is a Great American. Look at his accomplishments:
* Medal of Honor Winner
* Correct about WMD's - they are everywhere
*Iraq was easy - only required 3 weeks
* Friend of Paul Wolfowitz oil will finance the war, only 10,000 troops were required.

Kristol, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Bush, Feith each won Medals of Honor in Vietnam.
Cheney won 5.

This man is truly a great American, confirmed by O'Reilly, Hannity and Rush(who also won a Medal of Honor).

[julianna]

I know you are being fecetious, but if this were true, I can see Alaska from my house in Colorado.

[BiggerBiggerPicture]

Nice statistics. Wonder how these people took over America?

[Fremon]

Easily,. America elected Shrub twice.

[Indy 44]

NY Times stock just went up.

Bono Vox is an idealist and a realist, a compassionate liberal and a compassionate conservative all wrapped in the coolest shades on earth, and whose conscience for humanity transcends even the greatness of the band he fronts.

[Citizen54]

Last time I read an interview with Bono, he was talking about what a good man George W Bush is. (Millionaires have to stick together.)

I'd prefer a real liberal, like Ed Vedder.

[Coinyer101]

george bush did a lot for aids in africa along with bono. and he pushed bush to forgive 3rd world debt. bono is a liberal. he has no ego, and doesn't care about the money he has made. you should read about his life growing up in ireland during the 'troubles'. he has been a hero and a lifesaver to millions of forgotten people. you should be ashamed for labeling him.

[who38]

Whatever; we'll take him!