Friday might not have gone exactly as Houston State Senator Dan Patrick planned.
In the morning he was on conservative radio host Laura Ingraham's talk show announcing apossible run for the US Senate. He quickly followed that up with a press release, all in caps, quoting his statement from the show:
OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS I WILL EXPLORE A RUN FOR THE U.S SENATE. IF I DECIDE TO ENTER THE RACE I WILL BE THE ONLY CANDIDATE WITH A PROVEN CONSERVATIVE VOTING RECORD AND A LONG HISTORY OF FIGHTING FOR CONSERVATIVE CAUSES."
The announcement appeared primed to generate some buzz heading into the weekend, until another prominent Texas politician made another announcement.
That other politician? Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The announcement? Perry's possible interest in a presidential run.
The internet lit up with speculation over Perry's comments, but that shouldn't detract from the impact of Patrick's announcement. The Houston State Senator chairs the Texas Legislature's Tea Party Caucus and is a favorite of Texas conservatives, putting him in a good position for a statewide run.
The senate seat Patrick announced interest in is the one that will be vacated by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who will not run for reelection in 2012.
Perry, by the way, has already walked back his statement on interest in the Presidency.
