“liberalism (a linguistic oddity, since it is so markedly illiberal)” Not so odd. The thing with which liberals are liberal, and with which conservatives are conservative, is the use, or threat, of government violence against the citzens. That, I believe, is what the American middle should be taught by the example of this administration and should be repeated by every conservative seeking to explain that we are in fact the middle, not an extreme. All of these solutions (HCR, stimulus, cap and trade) ultimately rely on the government’s use of force, or threat of the use of force, to coerce compliance or surrender of taxes.