Is the Conservative Coalition Broken?

Conservatives appear to be in full revolt against President Bush over the immigration bill.

Former Reagan speech writer and Wall Street Journal contributing editor Peggy Noonan says the Bush White House has "torn the conservative coalition asunder," and this development has "implications not only for one political party but for the American future." Writing that conservative supporters of the president have felt like "sufferers of battered wife syndrome" for at least the last three years, Noonan says conservatives are now being called unpatriotic for their opposition to the immigration bill.

Leading Democrats often think their base is slightly mad but at least their heart is in the right place. This White House thinks its base is stupid and that its heart is in the wrong place.

Mary Katharine Ham writes at Townhall.org about how a solicitor from the Republican National Committee slammed the president and the bill during a phone call to her friend. This comes the day after The Washington Times reported on its Web site that the RNC fired all 65 of its staff telephone solicitors a week ago -- a decision the fired employees say was likely hastened by a 40 percent drop in contributions from small donors, who are also apparently in rebellion over the immigration bill. The RNC said it fired the phone folks because of outdated technology.

A posting at RedState actually posits the idea that the Bush administration is a "sleeper cell" planted by the Democrats.

Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin reports that Steve Moore of the pro-immigration bill Wall Street Journal has accepted a challenge to debate the editors of the anti-immigration bill National Review. Bill Bennett, a columnist and former education secretary under Reagan, likely will moderate. No word yet on when the smackdown will happen.

1:59 PM ET | 06- 1-2007 | permalink