if not the greatest. He was a far better and more prolific comic than Eddie Murphy, that's for sure.
Quite honestly, he was a genius both in comedy and in other ways.
I in large part agree with your take on his political views, but I think it's also easy to make too much of those views. Too many liberals/politicos only know him for those radical views. His politics didn't define his comedy at all.
What Carlin was was a lover of language. So many of his best bits were playing games with English diction and grammar and poking fun at all of us in how we unthinkingly use them. He was quite literally a recognized expert in the English language. You can see it in almost all of his routines when you look at them in that light.
Just as one example, check out his routine examining the fine distinctions between an "asshole," a "jagoff," and a "scumbag." (IMO, he has by far the least respect for scumbags, of the three. 
)
And here's another example of his work that might give you an idea of why many call him a genius:
I encourage you to look into Carlin's work beyond his generally brief political asides. He left an enormous amount of material behind and almost all of it is worthwhile. I think if you looked at him a bit deeper you'd see him differently.
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