[C. Edmund Wright]

>>> 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.

[muawiyah]

Specter didn't GET THERE by bashing Republicans. He was, in fact, a Democrat who decided he could get ahead faster running as a Republican and did so.

Of course he bashed Republicans ~ that's because he really was a GD Democrat!

He was also a fairly mind-numbed, robot-like, knee-jerk Liberal ~ but he'd been a prosecutor I believe, and that'll change a man.

[Mr Rogers]

A RINO is a Republican In Name Only. It means someone who calls himself a Republican but hold Democrat views.