We recently had Senator Jim Jeffords of VT change from Republican to Independent, caucusing with the Democrats.

Joe Lieberman was forced to change to Independent from Democrat, caucusing with the Democrats, because he lost the Democratic primary and knew the people of CT would re-elect him.

Bob Barr has changed his registration from Republican, heading up the Clinton impeachment proceedings, to Libertarian, even though he voted for the Patriot Act and for the Iraq War.

It seems when someone changes parties they are suddenly set free to say what they really believe instead of repeating the party line.

Take a listen to Joe Lieberman as he appeared on Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer on Sunday:

Would he have said those same things eight years ago? Or even three years ago? No, because he had to be loyal to his party.

Would Bob Barr be criticizing the actions he supported while in Congress five years ago? No, because he had to be loyal to his party.

Jeffords is different. He never said much of substance as a Republican or an Independent, but he used Republican money to get elected and then switched the balance of the Senate for a chairmanship and still didn’t get what he was after.

President George Washington, the Father of Our Country, warned against partisan politics and political parties. I think he was right. If we were all independents we would more freely say what we really feel rather than what the party wants us to say, and that would indeed be better for our country.