Media Matters noted yesterday that Mediaite founder Dan Abrams said it was fine for Fox News to employ five potential presidential candidates, because they're just “commentators ... answering questions,” not hosts with platforms to “advocate” their agendas. (Though, as we noted, Abrams was wrong about that; Mike Huckabee is a Fox host.)

Well, today, in a move that should surprise no one who actually watches Fox News, Fox & Friends advanced the Fox News primary by giving Fox News candidate Newt Gingrich a platform to promote his “12-step plan” to “replace the left.” On-screen text during the segment touted this as “Gingrich's plan to restore America.” The hosts also tossed him a few softball questions and were sure to plug what co-host Brian Kilmeade called Gingrich's “great book.”

During the segment, Gingrich railed against unemployment benefits, asserting that “last year we paid $134 billion for people to do nothing.” (Never mind the fact that economists have said that extending unemployment benefits has a strong stimulative effect on the economy; the Fox & Friends hosts wouldn't dare bring that up.) Gingrich later stated, “I think the idea of giving people money for year after year to do nothing is fundamentally very dangerous.”

After Gingrich advanced his position on unemployment benefits - without challenge, of course -- co-host Gretchen Carlson followed up with this softball: “So, I'm intrigued by this 12-step plan, Mr. Speaker. So unemployment is, I assume, one step. Give me another example.”

Carlson essentially invited Gingrich -- a likely GOP presidential candidate -- to advocate his agenda to “replace the left” without any pushback or real follow-up questions.

So, how is Gingrich in this case merely a “commentator” who “is just answering questions”? And how was this appearance not -- to paraphrase Abrams -- a vehicle for Gingrich to get his positions out there and advocate?