Far left field.

The non-partisan, Capitol Hill-watching periodical National Journal ranked all 100 senators earlier this year. Who came in as the No. 1 liberal? John Kerry.

And who came in at No. 4?

You got it ? Kerry's newest best friend in the whole wide world, John Edwards.

Such liberal icons as the senior senator from Kerry's own Massachusetts, Ted Kennedy (No. 10), and New York's Hillary Rodham Clinton (No. 11) finish well below the dubious standard set by Kerry and Edwards.

Both men voted against the $87 billion supplemental to pay for the Afghanistan and Iraq military operations ? though both voted in favor of giving the president to power to wage those wars.

Both men say they oppose gay marriage ? but plan to vote against the proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

Both men campaigned in the primaries on promises to hike taxes.

And, by the way, neither man has been bothering to show up for work much.

Since the 108th Congress began in January 2003, Edwards has missed 42 percent of all Senate votes.

Which makes him practically a workaholic compared to wannabe-President Kerry, who missed nearly 70 percent of his votes ? including on issues that he says he cares about, such as veterans' health care and unemployment benefits.

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/editorial/24714.htm