Opinion: Growing independence; Refreshingly, a number of politicians exhibiting it

WASHINGTON — The independence being demonstrated all over the political spectrum these days — by Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman and Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, both in tough re-election battles, and by Republican Sens. John McCain and John Warner — has its roots in American history. When they ran for the presidential nomination, Ronald Reagan and John Kennedy defied the preferences of their parties’ power brokers. And earlier, Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln did the same thing.

By: David Broder, none