Well no, nothing of that sort actually happened. But that’s my interpretation of this.
Sen. Dan Patrick — the Houston Republican who earlier announced the founding of the Independent Conservative Republicans of Texas to reach out to Tea Party activists and independents — now says he’s joining with other lawmakers to create the Tea Party Caucus.
“The Tea Party has played an important role this year and I want to be sure their voices are heard in Austin long after next Tuesday,” Patrick said in a press release. “The power of the Tea Party beyond election day is to hold those elected accountable for a conservative voting agenda.”
Patrick’s office in its release said the Tea Party caucus will meet with leaders of that movement and build support for “important conservative legislation” in the coming session.
I suppose it’s possible to interpret this as something other than forming a parade that lines up behind Dan Patrick for the purpose of advancing his interests and taking aim at other Republicans who are insufficiently Patrick-esque, but I think my explanation is simpler and more plausible. Burka, PDiddie, Neil, and Big Jolly have more.
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