The New York Times reported this weekend,
… But to those who know the history of the word [maverick], applying it to Mr. McCain is a bit of a stretch — and to one Texas family in particular it is even a bit offensive.
“I’m just enraged that McCain calls himself a maverick,” said Terrellita Maverick, 82, a San Antonio native who proudly carries the name of a family that has been known for its progressive politics since the 1600s, when an early ancestor in Boston got into trouble with the law over his agitation for the rights of indentured servants.
Considering the family’s long history of association with liberalism and progressive ideals, it should come as no surprise that Ms. Maverick insists that John McCain, who has voted so often with his party, “is in no way a maverick, in uppercase or lowercase.”
…
“It’s just incredible — the nerve! — to suggest that he’s not part of that Republican herd. Every time we hear it, all my children and I and all my family shrink a little and say, ‘Oh, my God, he said it again.’”
“He’s a Republican,” she said. “He’s branded.”
Read the entire brief article about this storied family and how the McCain brand is a denial of their heritage and values.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Betty Jo 10.09.08 at 4:10
did you know that Rep. Maverick of Texas is best known as the one who coined the term “gobbledygook”?
Frank Paynter 10.09.08 at 10:21
I did not know that!