And We Think The Immigration Debate Gets Ugly Here ...

Imagine reading this story in your local paper:

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Schwarzenegger yesterday played vicious hardball with his chief opponent in the battle over driver's licenses for illegal aliens - canceling $300,000 in state-funded health-care and education projects in Assembly Majority Leader Fabian Nunez's district, The Daily News has learned.

"It's governance by vengeance. He doesn't care who he hurts," a furious Nunez (D-Los Angeles) told the Daily News.

"You disagree with him and he tries to steamroller you," said Nunez, a Democrat.

The Republican governor made his infamous "I'm a f- - -ing steamroller" remark to Nunez earlier this year....

Nunez said he was especially outraged that Schwarzenegger blocked $100,000 in funding for an East L.A. clinic where volunteer doctors provide free health care to the uninsured.

"Here's another dirty trick from this governor. And you know who he is playing the dirty trick on? He's playing it on the poor people of Los Angeles." ...

What you've just read is an an actual story from Today's New York Post, only I've changed the names, places, and parties to fit California. The real fight over driver's licenses for illegal immigrants is taking place in the Empire State, between Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Republican Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco.

But what if things got this heated between BFFs Arnold and Fabian? Seems hard to imagine. New Yorkers are more accustomed to this sort of brass-knuckles political fighting. Here, the pols just cut deals behind closed doors and, for the most part, play nice in public.

Then again, Nunez hasn't pushed the licenses-for-illegal-immigrants issue recently. If he did, the sparks could start flying -- as they now do in New York.