TX Legislature: Sen. Dan Patrick Strikes Again!
Senator Dan Patrick (Houston) – evidently the resident jackass of the Texas Senate, judging by his recent antics – has done it again. A few days ago, Patrick invited mockery and ire from his fellow Senators by suggesting that he can cut the Texas state budget by over $3 billion, something that no other organization or public figure has been able to do as of yet without also proposing to cut many important social services and programs on which millions of disadvantaged people rely. And instead of preparing a statement on this “revelation” for his fellows in the Senate to review and consider, he threatened to go straight to the press with the plan instead.
In response, Senators Lucio and Whitmire – veteran power-wielders of the Texas Legislature – took Patrick to the cleaners yesterday on the Senate floor by questioning not only his unorthodox (and allegedly inappropriate) move to sidestep the Senate, but also his loyalties and general principles as an elected policymaker. At one point during hot debate with Sen. Whitmire, Sen. Patrick actually stated that he was a “member of the press” in the Senate who was entitled to take “valuable information” to the public. Indeed, Patrick does have his own ultra-conservative talk radio show. As a side point of interest, Patrick is often credited with discovering everybody’s favorite drug-addled, ultra-conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh years ago.
It’s pretty much known in the Senate that Dan Patrick has become the whipping boy. Of course, one might easily say he’s brought it all on himself. E.g., go here and here.
*Photo of Senator Dan Patrick courtesy of the Senator's website.
