For a short trip down memory lane, take a listen to newly elected Sen. Dan Patrick talk about his goals and desires. Click here to listen or use the player below.
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That recording is from a Texas Policy Cast first published 12-7-2006. Before his first session. Before he was named one of the Worst Legislators of 2007 by Texas Monthly. Before he was deemed a remarkably improved team player by Texas Monthly in 2009 and was no longer on the list. Back when he wanted to refund the budget surplus to taxpayers versus his current pride in maintaining a surplus by taking stimulus debt from Washington. Before he was as close to Gov. Rick Perry as a pimple on his backside.
Nowadays, Sen. Dan Patrick has a new BFF. The same guy that he used to mock is now his man. Gov. Rick Perry can do no wrong in Sen. Patrick’s eyes. Conversely, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison can do nothing right. After Sen. Hutchison said yesterday that she had not set a date for her resignation and left open the possibility that she might not resign at all, Sen. Patrick was beside himself, sending out several Tweets and this message on Facebook:
Sen Kay’s indecision is creating confusion & chaos for party-if she steps down in 2010 she will likely cause lawsuit by Dems over ballot- Kay said Tues she is being asked to stay in Senate & would not give date she is stepping down (appears to some she may not run for Governor after all) I’m sure it gives her financial backers concern. No one wants to write a check for someone who hints they may not run for office.
Why is her “indecision” creating confusion? Chaos? Hmm? Is it because you boys want to make the rules and the little girl isn’t going along with you? Hmm? Could that be it? You have all of these little chips you want to put into place and she is interfering with who you boys think should be Lt. Gov., U.S. Senator, State Attorney General, etc.? Is that it? Of course it is.
That’s why I hope that Sen. Hutchison doesn’t resign at all. Why should a narrow piece of the conservative political spectrum in Texas get to decide who runs for what? Listen, if David Dewhurst would rather be U.S. Senator than Lt. Gov., he doesn’t need to run for reelection to Lt. Gov. Just wait for 2012 and run for the senate. If Greg Abbott wants to be Lt. Gov., then suck it up and put your hat in the ring against Dewhurst. Let Texas voters decide. if Ted Cruz wants to be Attorney General, then run against Mr. Abbott. It really is that simple. Texas doesn’t need a few yahoos deciding what is best for us.
So I say, run, Kay, run hard, but do it while you hold on to your Senate seat. Trust me, in the long run, it will pay off for all Texans. Besides, you are obviously frustrating the boys on Perry’s bus; that has to make you smile a little.
While listening to Sen. Patrick rant on about Kay, up pops a commercial featuring Court Koenning. Now, if you haven’t listened to KSEV much, and few people do these days, you’ve probably missed the fact that Dan is trying to be king-maker, allowing Court to host his radio show, the morning radio show and fill in as a guest on the Amigos. All in an attempt to build name recognition so that Court can replace Jerry Eversole as County Commissioner. So I found it interesting that Court would be using another vehicle for name recognition, this one a group called Texans for Conservative Leaders.
Looking at their board of directors, why, there is Sen. Dan Patrick. As well as former Harris County Tax Assessor/Collector Paul Bettencourt. Hon. Paul Bettencourt? Interesting. But more interesting is that when you review the Texas Ethics Reports, the only donor listed is the Dan Patrick Campaign for $1,000. And if you head back to the Texans for Conservative Leaders website, you’ll find this as their sole activity:
Each week we will put out a radio advertisement to run on AM700 KSEV in Houston.
Nice, eh? A winner for all involved. Court Koenning gets name recognition. KSEV gets advertising revenue. Sen. Patrick collects campaign contributions and sends them to Texans for Conservative Leaders, who in turn sends the money to KSEV. Which Sen. Patrick happens to own. Like I said, a win/win.
And had Sen. Patrick not been ranting about Kay and pimping Court, I never would have noticed that little connection. Isn’t it funny how life works?