A Neo-Confederacy of Dunces

Infighting is threatening to do to the conservative movement what inbreeding could not. Read and enjoy!

Influential national defense specialist Frank Gaffney and American Conservative Union President David A. Keene yesterday separately accused Mr. Norquist of employing "Stalinist tactics" against those who disagree with Mr. Norquist's role in brokering access to the Bush White House.

Mr. Norquist had accused Mr. Gaffney and some of his allies in the conservative movement of "racism" and religious bigotry....

Nonetheless, Mr. Gaffney says his "concern is that Grover is playing the role of enabler, I assume unwittingly, for the Wahhabist [radical Muslim] agenda and its penetration of our political system � and especially of the Bush White House," Mr. Gaffney said....

Mr. Norquist yesterday barred Mr. Gaffney from attending the regular Wednesday morning meetings of conservative Capitol Hill aides and interest-group representatives held in Mr. Norquist's L Street offices. The White House regularly sends a representative to the meetings, at which Mr. Rove has occasionally been the featured speaker.

In disputes with organizers of two recent conservative conferences, Mr. Norquist warned his critics to back off because Mr. Bush and Mr. Rove were on his side.

Will the rift between the racial and religious bigots and the Islamo-Stalinists tear the G.O.P. apart?

And shouldn't David Keene be paying a little more attention to his son, the Beltway Gunman, who is presently incarcerated without bail and awaiting trial?