I've said that many a time - the liberals distort the conservative tag when they talk about former communists as an attempt to pin associations with communist totalitarianism on the right instead of on the left where it properly belongs.
modern liberals have hijacked the "liberal" label to lend credibility to their movement. classic liberals are having conniptions at trying to find their place in a world gone mad with labeling.
American conservatives are the classic liberals of yesteryear.