Media Matters reports that ABC’s “Good Morning America” has named CNN Headline News/syndicated radio host Glenn Beck as a “regular commentator.”

Beck, of course, recently distinguished himself by telling Muslim Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), “I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, ‘Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies’” — part of a long pattern of hateful and offensive comments.

Sadly, this is hardly the first such attempt by network news divisions to preempt critics of “liberal bias” by featuring an extreme right-wing pundit. CBS Evening News ran a “Free Speech” segment featuring Rush Limbaugh in September, and he served as an NBC Election Night analyst in 2002. NBC’s Tim Russert and Brian Williams also suck up to Limbaugh all the time.

It may be true, as ABC’s Mark Halperin put it, that “[A]s an economic model, if you want to thrive like Fox News Channel, you want to have a future, you better make sure conservatives find your product appealing.” But aren’t there better ways to appeal to conservatives than by kissing up to hatemongers like Limbaugh and Beck? Do they really need a bigger platform?

(For the liberal bias diehards, it’s also worth noting that no liberal commentator even remotely comparable to Limbaugh or Beck is featured on network news.)

Update 1/11/ 8:21 AM: Bruce Bartlett offers a novel explanation in comments:

I am convinced that the reason such nut cases are put on the air is liberal bias. Liberals know that presenting people like Alan Keyes as spokesmen for conservatism is the best way of making America liberal. I really believe this.

I’m not sure I agree. It could be that the networks are sincerely attempting to pander and think conservatives want Limbaugh, Beck et al on the air. (Of course, many do.) Alternatively, putting on extreme pundits may be intended as a costly signal to conservative viewers that the networks are serious about countering perceptions of liberal bias. Putting David Brooks on the air doesn’t carry the same reputational cost.