Richard A. Viguerie, one of the tactical godfathers of the conservative movement, tears President Bush (and Congress) to shreds in the Washington Post today. Viguerie writes, "sixty-five months into Bush's presidency, conservatives feel betrayed." He goes on to warn that "when conservatives are unhappy, bad things happen to the Republican Party."

Viguerie's piece is yet another sign of the conservative exodus taking place from the Bush administration. Jed Babbin struck a similar note in RealClearPolitics on Thursday, and I covered the topic in my column in the Chicago Sun-Times, which ended with this:

"With the midterm elections only a few months away and Republican majorities in both chambers hanging in the balance, demoralizing the group of people your party needs most to win in November is a dangerous move. If Bush is going to sign a comprehensive immigration bill that includes a guest worker program and a pathway to citizenship for those currently living here illegally, he'd better make sure there is a significant, immediate and well-publicized effort to shore up border security. If that happens, Bush might be able to win back some of the trust he's lost with conservatives on the issue of illegal immigration. If not, it'll be gone for good."

My column generated a number of emails, most running heavily against the President. Here is a taste of the sentiment:

"I think you are too optimistic. I am probably considered to be part of the Republican base and I can't conceive of anything that Bush could do in his remaining time in office that would salvage my trust in him. Even if he built a wall from the Gulf to the Coast, it would take years of real enforcement of the law for me to trust him. This isn't going to happen because Bush is not going to build a wall (other than a few token miles in order to get his bill passed), he is not going to enforce the law, and he doesn't have the time. In my mind, the Bush administration is over. At this point, all we can do is try to control the damage and hope for more promising prospects in 2008."

Very ominous signs for the GOP. An immigration bill could be the straw that breaks the back of the Republican majority in Congress.