With the establishment media ramping up for the conventions and this year’s presidential election it’s a banner year for recycled political hacks. CNN, the self-proclaimed “most trusted name in news” is working diligently to field an all-star lineup of Beltway friendly rump-smoochers and just scored a major coup in landing the always unctuous David Gregory as a key member of their team. Mr. Gregory is a longtime insider as well as a fixture at the annual presstitute’s gala that is the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. The talking head has been keeping a low profile after he was dumped from NBC’s Press the Meat Meet the Press but like most establishment shills he would eventually end up back on one of the big networks which always take care of their own.

The New York Times reports that “CNN Hires David Gregory as Political Analyst as 2016 Campaign Heats Up”:

David Gregory, who endured a long and difficult exit from his perch as the host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” is returning to a regular role on television as a political analyst on CNN, the network announced on Monday.

The move brings a familiar face back to the television news landscape during one of the most contentious presidential campaigns in memory, and one for which CNN has aggressively devoted resources to covering.

Since leaving “Meet the Press” in 2014 facing declining ratings and criticism of his style and performance, Mr. Gregory has been a scarce presence on TV news programs, appearing occasionally on cable news. He published a book, “How’s Your Faith,” that focuses on his religious interests.

A correspondent and anchor for 20 years for NBC News, Mr. Gregory will now appear primarily on CNN’s morning program, “New Day.” On Monday, he joined the show’s regular hosts to dissect Donald J. Trump’s candidacy and the state of the race.

The president of CNN, Jeff Zucker, who has made political coverage a priority for the network, is a longtime colleague of Mr. Gregory’s from their days at NBC.

Gregory will be a member of the morning team, a crucial spot for setting up the daily narrative that will drive the establishment message – one that will be pro-Hillary and anti-Trump. Gregory’s tenure at Meet the Press may have ended badly – especially considering that his replacement Chuck Todd is even worse than he was – but professional bullshit artists are always in demand, especially in an election year.