What is the point of the Liberal Democrats?

It would be easier to take the LibDems more seriously if they didn't insist on picking anyone they can pin a rosette on to stand for them, and actually showed soemthing approaching integrity and/or consistency just now and again. After numerous faux pas including selecting Brian 'gas guzzler' Paddick to contest the London mayoralty, despite apparently being at odds with his party's policy on all sorts of issues, now this classic from Maidstone where local LibDems have selected a road fuel protester and local road haulage magnate as their Parliamentary candidate. Links here:-
http://www.kentmessenger.co.uk/paper/default.asp?article_id=22242
http://www.kentmessenger.co.uk/paper/default.asp?article_id=20235
http://www.kentmessenger.co.uk/paper/default.asp?article_id=13722

Maybe someone who purports to understand what LibDems stand for could explain what it is about Mr Peter Carroll that makes him a Liberal Democrat? And while they're at it, why the party apparently supports congestion charging but opposes it wherever local people apear top be against such as West london and Edinburgh, has differing views on waste incineration from city to city, supports the M74 motorway, condemned by official enquiry, waited until public opinion was well against the Iraq war before coming off the fence, etc etc ad nauseam...