GOP Splitting on Immigration and Terrorism

Establishment and Tea Party factions clashing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Party divisions over immigration, anti-terrorism and other issues are bubbling to the surface just as President Barack Obama shows a new interest in capitalizing on GOP differences.

The latest example played out Thursday on the Senate floor, where two Republican senators rebuked a third — tea party favorite Rand Paul of Kentucky — for his filibuster that challenged U.S. policies for using drones to kill suspected terrorists. Just a few days earlier, other high-profile Republicans had differed on immigration, and a House committee chairman renewed his call for spending cuts that would go much deeper than those now making headlines.