I stick my neck out for nobody.

Just to expand on my comment below on Lieberman and McCain.

Your average, run of the mill politician personally ranks the things that are important in their life something like this:

1) Political party

2) Self

3) Major donors

4) Lobbyists

5) Congressional pages

6) Office staff

7) Accountant

8) Personal lawyer

9) Personal trainer

10) Goldfish

11) Mistress

12) Wife and family

...95) Constitution, country, patriotism and all that other nonsense.

Whereas guys like Joe Lieberman and John McCain rank things a little differently:

1) Self

2) Political party

3) Major donors

4) Lobbyists

5) Congressional pages

6) Office staff

7) Accountant

8) Personal lawyer

9) Personal trainer

10) Goldfish

11) Mistress

12) Wife and family

...95) Constitution, country, patriotism and all that other nonsense.

So in the world of professional politics where egomania is a prequisite Lieberman and McCain make the rest of the narcissistic political class look like amateurs.

Of course this colossal self-centeredness is actually taken as political independence or leadership by our chattering classes. When one considers that egomania is also a necessary trait to advancement in journalism it becomes clear as to why the average member of the media would be so enamored of these knuckleheads. They remind them of themselves.

We continually have the narrative forced on us that, because these guys aren't putting their political parties first they must be some sort of messianic moderates that are above politics. Nobody ever stops to notice that constitution, country, patriotism and all that are other nonsense remain at the bottom of their lists.