Some of you will no doubt find this as interesting as I did. The article by John Schwartz in the NYTimes.
But to those who know the history of the word, 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.