PROF. BAINBRIDGE RESPONDS TO KERRY’S DEFENDERS on the “how liberal is John Kerry?” question.

Unlike (apparently) a lot of people, I don’t think it’s bad to be liberal. But I guess you’d expect me to say that, as a liberal blogger myself.

UPDATE: More here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Chris Lawrence weighs in with a discussion of liberal-ranking methodology. In his email, he calls it “drearily technical, but hopefully accessible.” I don’t think it’s dreary, but then as a law professor my dreariness threshold may be higher than normal. Hey, let’s rank me on that! [I think the blog does that already. — Ed. Good point.]

More here, in a paper by three political scientists devoted to the question of whether Kerry really is the most liberal member of the Senate or not. (Short answer: Not really.)