The NYT’s Bill Carter, covering MSNBC’s panel this morning at the Winter TCA, reports political analyst Pat Buchanan may not be returning to MSNBC afterall. Buchanan, who has been a frequent guest for much of the network’s 15 years, hasn’t been on for months. MSNBC president Phil Griffin asked Buchanan “not to be on” while he’s promoting his book, “Suicide of a Superpower.”

“Pat and I are going to meet soon and a decision will be made.” Griffin added, “Pat is a good guy. Some of his ideas are alarming.”

The book describes how America has become “a multiracial, multicultural, multilingual, multiethnic stew of a nation that has no successful precedent in the history of the world.”

“The ideas he put forth aren’t really appropriate for national dialogue, much less the dialogue on MSNBC,” says Griffin.

InsideCableNews, which, earlier this week raised the question about Buchannan’s prolonged absence, concludes that this says less about Buchanan and more about MSNBC.

Pat has not changed. He may be a bit more vocal and shrill about it but he hasn’t changed his positions. On the other hand, MSNBC has changed. It openly courts Progressive views and news. It puts out job ads asking for candidates with a progressive news background. Its pundit host class is all progressive and the network lets them show up en masse at the White House for off the record get togethers.