Richard Nixon: a liberal, not a conservative

With the centenary of Nixon's birth on January 9, there has been a spate of commentary on the former president and his significance.  Writing over at National Review Online, John Fund has what I think is the most insightful take on Nixon's overall governing philosophy:  Nixon at 100:  Was He 'America's Last Liberal'? As Fund notes, "viewed in its totality, his isn't the record of a conservative president. At best, it's the record of a progressive Republican who, in the end, didn't view conservatism as a valid governing philosophy -- even though it was the basis of the republic created by the Founding Fathers." Nixon was not the creator of the welfare & regulatory state that we now live with, but he did more than anyone to solidify that welfare & regulatory state and expand its reach.