Let's use some resources!

mav·er·ick /ˈmævərɪk, ˈmævrɪk/ [mav-er-ik, mav-rik] –noun 1. Southwestern U.S. an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, esp. an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother. 2. a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates. 3. (initial capital letter) an electro-optically guided U.S. air-to-ground tactical missile for destroying tanks and other hardened targets at ranges up to 15 mi. (24 km). [Origin: 1865–70, Americanism; after Samuel A. Maverick (1803–70), Texas pioneer who left his calves unbranded] —Synonyms 2. nonconformist, independent, loner.

I assume that nobody would refer to themselves as being No. 1 or No. 3 which only leaves No. 2, but, honestly, where in that definition does it refer to 72 year old POW's whose voting record is the same as Bush's 95% of the time? And doesn't referring to yourself as a maverick ad nauseum kind of diminish your maverick-ness? And I am sorry, but Palin is no Goose.