Getting back to liberal and conservative, (how did we ever get away from the issue?) I tend to support a liberal base..(universal health care and social security) but I am not opposed to having the option available for a man to go to a private physician, should he so be able to afford. (Why is that even an issue?)
You should probably distinguish between social and economic beliefs. A libertarian would fit in best with liberals on a lot of social issues, but would fit in with conservatives on economic issues. So does that make them liberal conservatives, or conservative liberals?
I think a better word than liberal is "Progressive." Modern-day liberals (progressives) resemble almost nothing reminiscent of classical liberalism.
"Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it" -- Thomas Paine