Assclown Alert: Making empty threats about the Ten Commandments with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

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Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick puts his taste in men's wear on display during a speech in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For all of Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s power to run the Texas Senate with an iron fist, he’s had a harder time forcing his whims on the Texas House.

Which makes it all the more puzzling that Patrick last week tweeted that the Texas Legislature would follow in Louisiana’s footsteps and pass a bill forcing public schools to display the Ten Commandments.

In a string of tweets, Patrick bragged that such a bill passed his Senate last year but failed to move forward in the House. He lamented that Texas didn’t beat Louisiana to the punch in forcing the Christian religion down kids’ throats.

“Texas WOULD have been and SHOULD have been the first state in the nation to put the 10 Commandments back in our schools,” Patrick said.

He went on to blame House Speaker Dade Phelan for the bill’s death, adding that the Beaumont Republican caved because “the Democrats who put him in power opposed it.”

“Every Texas Republican House member would have voted for it. But, SPEAKER Dade Phelan killed the bill by letting it languish in committee for a month assuring it would never have time for a vote on the floor. This was inexcusable and unacceptable.”

It’s certainly possible that a Ten Commandments bill will pick up steam when the House meets next year. Bad ideas have a way of picking up momentum in the Texas Lege.

However, it’s doubtful Phelan will show any more inclination to let such a bill move forward. Relations between he and Patrick are at an all-time low.

After all, Patrick this spring endorsed and campaigned for Phelan’s now-vanquished primary challenger, David Covey. Not exactly a great way to win favors from the guy who heads the other chamber.

It’s also possible the Republican-controlled House may vote in a new leader, but if that happens Dems will still have a hand in who that is. It seems likely they’ll do everything in their power to ensure it’s not someone who’s willing to be the lieutenant governor’s puppet.

Someone needs to tell Patrick that as much power as he’s carved out for himself in Texas Senate, someone else wields the gavel in the House. But good luck with that. Patrick is an assclown who’s repeatedly demonstrated he’s unwilling to listen to anyone but himself.