President Biden's Infrastructure bill drew ample support over the summer from Republicans in the Senate. But in the days since  House Repubicans broke with their own colleagues and voted for the $1 trillion legislation last week, they have been flooded by menacing messages from voters, even some of their own colleagues who regard their votes as a betrayal.

The reaction to the passage of the bill, reflects how deeply polarization has seeped into the political discourse within the Republican Party, making even the most uncontroversial legislation a potentially toxic vote.

The dynamic is a natural outgrowth of the slash-and-burn politics of former President Donald J. Trump, who savaged those in his party who backed the infrastructure bill as "RINOs" which means Republicans in name only, who should be "ashamed of themselves."