My definition of "buttmonkey" is someone who will toady to a particular leader or political movement, and has no other real principles other than this. A good sign is that they will reverse their position 180 degrees without a second thought to accomplish this. Think Dracula's Renfield.

The most glaring example lately is a raft of Democratic leaders and others who are climbing all over Bush for his Iraq policy, yet thoroughly supported Bill Clinton's attack on Iraq based on exactly the same conclusions on WMD and terrorism that convinced Bush.

Parry's mutable attitude on respect for the truth, depending on whose ox is...well...gored, places him in this category IMO.