There’s so much to write, and so much already being written, about the new immigration deal. Here’s the one thing I’ll never understand.

Striking bipartisan deals is often both good and necessary, especially when you’ve got a divided government. But why is it so often Ted Kennedy that the Republicans—especially W.—go running to when they make these deals? Wouldn’t it make more sense to get the Republican caucus and the dozen most moderate (and/or trustworthy) Democrats together instead?

I mean, how often did the Democrats show up on Jesse Helms’ doorstep pining for his blessing on their latest big comprehensive whatchamacallit? Didn’t happen, did it?

This, I believe is the difference. I have long believed that one of W’s biggest problems ideologically is that he’s internalized the Lefty view of the world. Especially the pantomime virtuous-liberal / villainous-conservative part. From that point of view, getting Ted Kennedy’s name on a bill makes the bill, and everyone supporting it, both politically and morally better, because he is an avatar of political virtue. Screwing the yahoos in the Republican base also makes things politically and morally better, because they are icky unvirtuous “ist”-type people.

This is the psychology behind what I continue to call the “reverse Goldwater”. (“In their hearts, they know they’re wrong”…wrong just for being a Republican.)

If Karl Rove were a really, really brilliant diabolical genius, he’d figure out how to change the culture in Washington so that the Democrats were the ones who woke up every morning worrying about what they could do that day to prove they’re not evil, be accepted into polite society, get invited to the right dinner parties, and get nice write-ups in the Style section.

Until then, I’ll continue to see the hard Left’s fevered visions of the Right running everything in politics and the media, inexorably pulling them towards fascist domination, as surreal and more than a little nutty.