[kickabuck]

Hello katyseagull, yes I think it is fair to say that as a younger man Chris was a liberal. He worked for Tip O'Neill(former Dem speaker of the House) for six years and was a speech writer for Jimmy Carter.

This is pure speculation on my part(based on my observation of him during this era), but I think his party willfully ignoring rampant campaign funding irregularities that were commonplace in the Clinton era(and many other scurrilous activities, including some which got Cinton disbarred in Arkansas and necessitated his resignation from the Supreme Court bar) really dampened his enthusiasm for the Democratic party and is much of the reason he voted for Bush as opposed to Gore in 2000. I believe he is still a liberal at heart on most issues, save the gun issue and some conservative tendencies arising from his Catholicism.