I'm probably guilty of committing schadenfreude in the first degree, but I couldn't help but feel that it's about time the Republican party experiences what it's like to be on the other end of the rhetorical blowtorch for a change. This blowtorch is a GOP invention, and has been wielded effectively against all dissent for years now. It even predates the Bush administration, although they have seemingly perfected its use. But now they are caught in their own circular firing squad, and even the likes of Rush Limbaugh are beginning to worry that it could destroy the party.

I'm talking, of course, about immigration. The problem with the Bush approach is that (for once) they are desperately trying to talk intelligently about solving a problem with real solutions and wonky policy talking points. Their opponents (from within their own party) have a much blunter and more effective weapon, since they have "framed" the issue down to one word -- the dreaded "amnesty." Anything short of rounding up all 12 million illegal aliens and promptly shipping them back to where they came from is howlingly derided as the A-word. Never mind the fact that this would be patently impossible to achieve, anyone proposing any other answer to the problem is met with the oh-so-effective "Amnesty! Amnesty! Amnesty!" chorus.

But what triggered my amusement was the following quote from a story in a recent Newsweek article:

"One GOP activist and longtime ally of the White House, who declined to be named so as not to further inflame tensions with administration officials, tells Newsweek he was 'incensed' by Bush's comments Tuesday, particularly at a time when White House officials have been working to win support of people like him behind the scenes. '[The White House] has lost credibility with conservatives,' the activist told Newsweek. 'Their arrogance on this issue... it's just astounding. Their attitude is that if you disagree with them, you're wrong. It's just unbelievable.'"

No, actually, it's not. Ask any Democrat, they'll tell you. It's not "unbelievable," it's actually standard operating procedure for the GOP.

It's just nice to see them experiencing it for themselves, for a change.

[For more Republican-on-Republican carnage, there's an extended article with fascinating interview quotes over at the New Yorker this week.]