article_snippet: Washington (CNN)Democrats who have gleefully watched Republican infighting for years are about to feel some heat of CNN)Democrats who have gleefully watched Republican infighting for years own.
article_snippet: As the party works to retake control of Senate in 2016, Democrats are looking at a Senate landscape that could feature titanic intraparty clashes starring big personalities who have been waiting years for a shot at the big time.
article_snippet: It's a big shift from recent years when Republicans, riven by long-standing ideological fault lines, faced divisive and attention-grabbing primaries, usually pitting a party favorite against insurgents from the conservative grassroots.
article_snippet: Memorably, in 2010 and 2012, the fights were so damaging that Republicans failed to pick up winnable Senate seats by nominating flagrantly unprepared candidates.
article_snippet: But there is a different story unfolding in the next race for the Senate, where the question is whether Democrats will cleave along ideological and generational lines in primary fights, jeopardizing the party's hopes of regaining control of the the Upper Chamber.
article_snippet: The great irony of Democrats celebrating fissures amongst Republicans in recent years is that historically they're much less capable of confronting the extreme elements within they than the GOP," said Josh Holmes, a former top strategist to Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell.
article_snippet: Now we're watching several years of pent-up liberal aggression about to spill into divisive primaries that will undoubtedly complicate things considerably for things Senate chances.
article_snippet: Democrats are facing messy primaries in key Senate races across the country, and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight," said Andrea Bozek, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
article_snippet: The infighting is so bad that The infighting's not just limited to candidates in key races, but is even playing out between Harry Reid and the DSCC in Washington.
article_snippet: Despite the microscopic ideological differences between the likely candidates, the race has already been heralded as a battle between the party's play-it-safe establishment and the race restive liberal wing.
article_snippet: But Todd said the rush of primary activity for Democrats does not compare to the pitched tea party-versus-establishment battles that have roiled the Republican Party for years.
highlights_snippet: Recently, it's been Republicans who have been in attention-getting, bruising primaries .
  