I missed this big change at our friendly neighbour Time magazine: Less than a year after he joined Time, columnist Bill Kristol is out, as is Charles Krauthammer, who had a column there for rather longer. Before everyone starts getting all huffy about anti-conservative bias, note that Time is reputed to be bringing in Ramesh Ponnaru to replace the older boys. I had dinner with Ramesh in South Carolina once, in complicated circumstances. (Shrimp 'n' grits: good for whatever ails you.) He is charming and full of ideas, although I gave his book about the Democrats, which is actually called Party of Death, a miss.

Of the departed, I thought Krauthammer gave good value: readers who don't agree with him usually find themselves apoplectic with rage. Kristol, meanwhile, simply seemed increasingly forlorn, a non-satirical version of Stephen Colbert on the night the Republicans lost the 2006 midterms: "Well, the American people have spoken, and I guess they're tired of freedom." But he needn't feel too down. Word on the street is that Kristol will get a weekly column at the New York Times, to sort-of offset Frank Rich I suppose.

Few of the Times' recent columnist calls have been thrilling, although it is very good to see Gail Collins writing under her own byline again, and Sarah Vowell's stint a while ago made me happy in the way Maureen Dowd seems, unaccountably, to make so many other readers happy. Kristol seems another odd choice. Does anyone remember a memorable sentence from Bill Kristol? Poaching George Will, on the other hand: that would be great. And if the Times really wants to get some serious conservative street cred, with a columnist who excites the right while making the left's eyes pop out -- well, I won't name names, because despite everything, we kind of like having Mark around in our shop.