After that Texicans on FR began "adjusting" the meaning to replace Left Wing.
Time to take back the language. RINO has to do with a Democrat who came over from the Democrat party to run as a Republican. LIBERAL continues to have to do with the way members of Congress or state legislatures vote.
New Hampshire used to be considered rather Conservative leaning.
>>> Up until September 25, 2001 RINO continued to have a strictly political rather than ideological meaning. >>>
You are very close to hitting the nail on the head. The meaning used to be political and not ideological for sure, but I think your definition is just a tiny bit off. From my experiences going back about 19 years and from talking to party operatives with more experience than that, RINO mean Republicans who bashed Republicans as a means of advancing their careers through the fawning media, etc. McCain, Graham, Arnold, etc.
This could include Democrats who crossed over, but was not only that. In fact, what it really meant was Republicans who likely would cross over to Dems when it became expedient: Link Chafee, Jim Jeffords, Arlen specter, etc....classic examples....or like McCain saying he would run as Kerry’s VP in 04 etc.
Now, these folks are also much more likely to be liberal ideologically, but you are right, the original meaning was political and not ideological.