NBC brass is shipping former anchorman Brian Williams to MSNBC, a move that demonstrates the utter disregard that management has for the floundering liberal cable TV network.

williamsThe demotion would be like News Corp. dispatching top Wall Street Journal columnists Gerry Seib or Dave Wessel to the New York Post -- although Rupert Murdoch is a big fan of the paper and his conservative mega-phone. It would be like the New York Mets sending all-star Daniel Murphy to its Las Vegas farm team.

Diehard MSNBC fans -- a diminishing bunch -- have to wonder if Williams isn't acceptable to NBC, why is he being dumped on us? Doesn't MSNBC have news standards at least equal or in the same ballpark as NBC

NBC did threw a lifeline to Brian, declaring him a fill-in breaking news anchor in the event Lester Holt isn't available. That opens the door a bit for Brian's return to the corporate mother ship if Holt's ratings tank. The NBC option is Williams' get out of jail card.

Excluding Joe Scarborough, Williams will be the most conservative member of MSNBC's talent, which includes lefty firebrands Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, Al Sharpton, Ed Schultz and Lawrence O'Donnell.

Williams' celebrity may give MSNBC a boost in the ratings game, which couldn't hurt the network that gets its brains knocked by Roger Ailes and Fox News. At the very least, viewers will tune in to see if Williams slips up or do some fact-checking.

As long as Brian stays away from tales of floating bodies, his return to the cable network could work out.