Dan Patrick

Texas Democrats’ “success?”

Only if you go by numbers, not content. Or Quantity, not Quality.  You know, the same false argument the Dems use to justify President Obama’s Executive Orders and Writs of Memoranda.

There’s a set of “statistics” going around on Facebook (and elsewhere, if you want to see the 10/2013 original), intended to criticize the current leadership in the Texas Legislature :

  “Well, nearly HALF of all the bills enacted into law in the great Republican, red state of Texas were authored or co-authored by Democrats.

Actually, the most likely answer is that only the more conservative bills “authored or co-authored” by Dems are passed.  The question is what are the actual Bills we’re talking about?

For a look at what actually happens in the Texas Legislature, let’s go to the resource for following or researching current and past legislation, hearings, even witness lists: Texas Legislature Online.
To look at what sort of Bills coauthored by Dems were passed, look at the record of one of the most liberal Dems, Jessica Farrar.  Go down to the list of Bills authored or list of Bills “co-authored” by her in the 83(R) session.  Look at the ones marked “E” for “Enrolled.”

One of those Bills, HB 3677, was sponsored in the Senate by Lt. Governor-elect Dan Patrick and one, HB 970, was authored jointly with Representative Jonathan Stickland. Another, authored by Representative Harvey Hilderbran, HB 3572,  actually lowered tax rates. (Okay, HB 3572 created a new tax on alcoholic mixed beverages, but at a lower rate than similar taxes.)

Not all Bills are created equal, and certainly not all “statistics.” or “proof” that the Texas Legislature is not conservative. But we can add one more example to the statistics proving Mark Twain’s adage that there are “Lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

Comal County Precinct 4 Sample Ballot 2014

Don’t forget your photo ID!

Comal County Precinct 3 Sample Ballot 2014

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Comal County Precinct 2 Sample Ballot

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2014 Sample Ballot Comal County Precinct 1

Comal County 2014 General Election Early Voting Locations

Early voting for the 2014 General Election is October 20 – 31 — Take your picture ID and vote Republican!!!

Here are the Comal County Early Voting Locations:

Lawsuits on the Left, Lawsuits on the Right

That lawsuit in which Dan Patrick revealed his mental health history isn’t new-news. In fact, he was criticized for failure to report it in a voters’ questionnaire just last January and it was covered in an article in the Texas Monthly, back in 2007.

If a person files a lawsuit claiming damages and mentions mental problems, his medical records will become part of the court records and public. Patrick initiated and lost both a criminal trial and a civil lawsuit against a Houston reporter and his newspaper, opening the door to last week’s revelations.

However, what should be news is the contrast between the reaction from the Right about Patrick’s lawsuit and Wendy Davis’ lawsuit seeking damages for the way a newspaper treated her:

and,

https://twitter.com/MQSullivan/statuses/398234066631151616

Somehow, these same venues have not criticized Dan Patrick for his lawsuit demanding damages from a Houston newspaper and reporter.

The Left hasn’t missed the difference, and some have called it hypocrisy:

“So: both unsuccessfully sued the press, both endured revelations of mental anguish. The only real difference is that Patrick’s mental health troubles would seem, on the available evidence, to be much more substantial and long-lasting. Many conservatives in the state are rallying around Patrick: How did they treat Davis when her (very minor) admission was written up last November by noted slug pundit Eric Erickson?”

Debate . . . between Dewhurst, Patrick

What Republican thinks it’s “dangerous” to have “a lot of money?”

Dan Patrick told the Houston Chronicle that Lieutenant Governor David H. Dewhurst is “dangerous because he has a lot of money.”

Dewhurst might be dangerous because of the skills he learned serving our Nation in the Air Force and CIA. But he’s not dangerous because of his success in business.

Dan or Leticia? GOP senators might demur – San Antonio Express-News

Even a stopped (analog) clock is right twice a day. And here’s an example, from O.Ricardo Pimental:

Republican senators number 19, Democrats 12. If two seats flip, the GOP, if unified, has its can’t-mess-with-us majority. Most folks think Republicans will go up to at least 20. But rule changes can be done with a simple majority.

And here’s the thing: Van de Putte simply scores higher on collegiality than does Patrick, known for his red-meat policy choices and God-says-I’m-right-and-you’re-not posture.

via Dan or Leticia? GOP senators might demur – San Antonio Express-News.

Who pushed for the metal detectors at the State Capitol? Dan Patrick

Dan Patrick got spooked after he got into an argument with a man who later fired shots *outside the Capitol.* Patrick carries a gun, but demanded the detectors for those of us who don’t have a Concealed Carry Permit. Again, no shots were fired in the Capitol.
Real-at-the-time news and blog reports are still available on-line.

Here’s two blog posts asking readers to call Senator Patrick:
http://www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-500089.html
http://thefiringline.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-394641.html  Dan went home to Houston and lobbied for metal detectors from his office, there.

Off the Kuff, a far-left blog,reported about Patrick’s advocacy for the metal detectors.
http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=25408
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424052748704197104575051181299172168