"Non-partisan partisans"

This term has recently been coined by American bloggers. What it basically means is that although someone may be a member of a certain party, they eschew partisanship for partisanship's sake. In other words, rather than blindly following their own party's herd, they are complimentary to their opponents, build "goodwill" with them and aren't afraid to criticize the leadership of their own party if they think the actions of that leadership undermines the overall good of the country.

Here, the Bull Moose Blog applies the term to Joe Lieberman.

(I know some will say that John McCain falls into the same category for the GOP. I disagree. I think that rather than putting the interests of the country above all else, John McCain puts the interests of John McCain above all else. Being a non-partisan partisan is one thing, but pissing inside the tent to promote yourself and curry favour with Beltway journalists is completely another.)