Earlier this morning, state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, paid a visit to his conservative talk-radio pal Laura Ingraham and announced on her nationally syndicated program that he’s forming an exploratory committee in preparation for a run at the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Since joining the Texas Senate in 2007, Patrick has made a name for himself as one of the most conservative politicians in the Texas Legislature — and a favorite of the religious right .
In the 2011 legislative session, he successfully pushed for the so-called sonogram bill, legislation that requires women seeking an abortion to undergo a sonogram before they can go ahead with the procedure. When the bill was signed into law this week, Patrick said women who have had abortions can find forgiveness in the “blood of Jesus Christ.” Such a statement is not out of character for a legislator who is not shy about using faith to achieve political goals and vilify opponents on the floor of the Texas Senate or on his radio talk show.
TFN has been keeping an eye on Patrick since his arrival on the state political scene, predicting in our 2007 report “God’s Lawgivers? Carrying the Water for the Religious Right in Texas Government” that he would make waves with his big ego and strident talk-radio style. (I mean, the man titled his 2002 book The Second Most Important Book You’ll Ever Read. He’s long had a grandiose opinion of himself.) We think our 2007 profile of Patrick holds up pretty well. You can read it for yourself here (pdf). See if you think Sen. Patrick’s schtick will play well in a statewide election.
I remember my disgust of Patrick while he was a pompous, over blown sports caster for channel eleven in Houston years ago. Once that gig was up, he reinvented himself as a loud mouthed right wing ideologue on local radio – a Houston area Limbaugh wannabe. He used that and his ultra conservative right wing base to get elected to the senate, where his obnoxious mannerisms have served him well in this state filled with the mindless minions of the right. There have been a couple of instances – the specifics escape me just now – where he has shown some compassion and intelligent leadership. However, these few moments are overwhelmed by his strident rhetoric and self aggrandizement. With these attitudes in mind, he could very well be elected to the US Senate in Texas, where an “R” by your name is sufficient. He and John Cornyn would make quite a pair. Most embarrassing, Patrick is the representative from my district. I dutifully go to the polls and register a vote against him every time – and will continue to do so.
Whatever would we do without these self-appointed proxies for God?
Thank God that a real Texas Republican (one following the platform) will run against a person listed by Planned Parenthood as “pro-choice” and who also voted against the DOMA because she said it didn’t have enough rights for women. She was actually being considered for vice-president with Sen. McCain. That’s like Pres. O’Bama saying African Americans could never be president! We need Righteous Rock Solid Republican men to step forward since women have blown their chance except for a meager few. As far as Texas removing Sen. Patricks anti-groping bill, the Bible says “The wicked flee when no one pursues.”
Since I see silence, here, I’ll answer flora68. How can he be self-appointed? I’ve never seen that law anywhere. Even my city councilman was appointed by out-going City Councilwoman, now Texas Sen. Wendy Davis . He was re-elected by 100 vote-margin after his campaign put out Hispanic language fliers giving the wrong date of the election! His opponent was a well-known hispanic heritage member of the school board! The Federal Election Commission did send out people to watch the precinct elections but that was the extent of it. Believe it or not, there is an all-seeing God in Heaven intervening into the affairs of men. He said, “I lay before you Life and Death, choose Life.” That is a command we should obey to be chosen by Him and be His Friend. Is it his fault if we choose Death and takes away our wall of protection?
Pat:
The Republican platform has more in common these days with the Taliban than it does with most Americans’ values.
It’s not “O’Bama,” it’s “Obama.” How ignorant are you?
You say: “We need Righteous Rock Solid Republican men to step forward since women have blown their chance”
Boy, that’s just sad. Also, inaccurate. And I bet the overwhelming majority of American women, including Republican women, would ask you to kindly shut up and not speak for them.
You say: ‘the Bible says “The wicked flee when no one pursues.”’
I am as concerned with what the Bible says are you are with what the Koran says.
And: “Believe it or not, there is an all-seeing God in Heaven intervening into the affairs of men.”
Got evidence?
You’re a creaky, cranky old dinosaur, Pat, slowly but surely being replaced by nonbelievers, and by believers who understand that this nation was not founded on Christianity, and that the surest way to maintain the liberty and religious freedom guaranteed by our Constitution is to keep religion out of government.
“let the wicked be wicked still.”
“quit being a crazy, obnoxious theocrat”
Just one comment:
Just one comment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHveWPrtYrA&feature=related
I’ve listened to Dan Patrick’s radio show off and on for many years. The most memorable moment for me was after the Supreme Court decided in favor of Bush as President in 2001. Patrick was not only elated, he was in religious ecstasy.
“It’s hard not to see a supernatural hand in this decision,” he said.
I remember the exact quote, because I’d never heard anything that outrageous uttered on the airwaves before.
Do I understand it correctly that patfromftworth is in favor of dirty tricks in elections when the side of God profits from it (handing out fliers with false election dates to likely opposition voters)? Pious fraud indeed.
Her writing was not all that clear, but that is what it seemed like she was saying. This points up the real problem with the Religious Right. Because I am a Christian, I have no problem with Jesus coming down and setting up his own government here on the planet. My problem is with people like Pat from Forth Worth who think that they can set up a government of their own here in the United States and hang out a sign that says, “This government established by Jesus.”
The disciple John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” ( I John 1:8.) That was a Christian speaking to other Christians about Christians. The element of sin is always there in human beings, even Christians. There is also the classic problem of the visible and invisible church that the Christian fundamentalists are always harping about. Basically, it means that out of a church with 100 regularly attending members, 15 members are really saved and going to heaven and the other 85 are just fakers on the highway to Hell—and even those 85 are totally blind to that fact.
This is why no one should ever trust any Christian who insists that God has ordered them to create a Christian state, government, or nation. The element of human failure and corruption is always there in 100 percent of Christians, and the odds are (at the barest minimum) 85 percent against that so-called representative of the Lord actual being a chosen representative that is going to do the right thing.
From what I have seen of the Religious Right in this country, with all of their petty prejudices; insanity; lying; disregard for what the Bible calls “the least of these;” and their total commitment to man-made backwoods pioneer culture (what the Bible calls “the traditions of men”), I would never trust them to form a just government.
Trust Jesus. Never trust the Religious Right.
Pat from FT. Worth : “authentic frontier gibberish”
“Who can argue with that?”
Not even Gabby Johnson could argue against that.
Dan Patrick is a lying, right wing “radical” nut job sleezball scumbag of the highest magnitude! He thinks he knows best how we should live live our lives and is not too bashful to tell us! He and his cronie GOP scum-bucket friends need to get sweept out into the streets in the next election, where they belong. Patrick has no respect for woman and shows it with his sonogram nonsense bill! As citizens, our freedoms and our way of life are in jeopardy with these idiots running things. If Texans elect this “nut job” to the US Senate, it will be a sad day for the State of Texas!!!!!