Liberty's Blog: Jerry Patterson Announces Unexploratory Committee

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Jerry Patterson Announces Unexploratory Committee

As our attention drifts away from the 2008 Presidential politics, we start to focus, on 2010 Texas politics. The 2010 round promises to be interesting and fun. Governor Rick Perry will once again face challengers. There is Houston's Mayor White. His main claim to fame is that he isn't brown. Any one taking the office of mayor after Lee Brown was sure to look good. But he is still well known as a leftist city mayor, and probably doesn't stand a chance. There is Senator Kaye B aily Hutchinson. She is serving her third term as Senator even though she promised to seek two terms. Kaye anounced that she will be joining the fray by creating an exploratory committee Kaye jumping into ring puts the Senate seat up for grabs. Jerry Patterson who now serves as Land Commissionor (a statewide office) made a statement about his thoughts for his political ambitions.

(AUSTIN) The latest in a long line of officeholders announcing their intentions to seek the U.S. Senate seat that might be vacated by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in her run for Governor, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today made his decision public.

"After a great deal of consideration, and much soul-searching, I am today formally announcing my intention to join many of my fellow elected officials and not seek the U.S. Senate seat," said Patterson. "I have been urged by many of my fellow Texans to seek this seat . . actually only a few Texans . . . truthfully just a couple members of my staff and a few other officeholders who want my job . . . so I'll sit this one out."

"I will form an unexploratory committee to be sure," said Patterson, " but my heart tells me that I am deeply ambivalent about being a U.S. Senator."

"After all," said Patterson "I don't want to share statewide office with anyone, and D.C. is a tough commute for my thirty-year-old single-engine fabric-covered aerobatic airplane."

Despite the recent D.C. vs. Heller case before the Supreme Court that ruled Washington's prohibition against handguns was unconstitutional, Patterson said he could not live in the Nation's Capital. Patterson is author of the Texas Concealed Handgun Law and a known gun advocate.

"Just like Johnny Cash, I'd definitely take my guns to town," Patterson said. "Living in D.C. would be tough only because of the lack of gun ranges and available ammunition."

Paraphrasing his quote from a recent West Texas land controversy, Patterson added "No guns, no hunting, no Senate."

By removing himself for consideration for Senate, Patterson says it will affect his health.

"I'll live longer." Patterson said. "When Gov. Pappy Lee O'Daniel appointed Sam Houston's youngest son Andrew Jackson Houston to fill an empty Senate seat in '41, Houston went to one committee meeting then died. Of course, he was 88. I'm sure it was mere coincidence that O'Daniel subsequently ran himself to fill Houston's Senate seat."

Similarly, Patterson pointed out, those officeholders who lose the U.S. Senate race could also face ill-effects on their health.

"After former Republic of Texas president Anson Jones was passed over for an open Senate seat in 1857, he blew his brains out." Patterson said. "No one should need to go to Washington that bad."