From Patrick’s press release: Senator Dan Patrick is joining with conservative legislators to create a 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,” added Patrick. “The power of the Tea Party beyond election day is to hold those elected accountable for a conservative voting agenda,” said Patrick. Pretty grim news. We wouldn’t want anybody to have an independent thought, would we? The inevitable Wayne Chritian is one of the board members. Also mentioned are Tenth-Amendmenter Brandon Creighton, Ken Paxton, and new senator Brian Birdwell. The woods are full of self-annointed bosses and enforcers. This is setting up a purge of members who don’t toe the tea party line. There is only one acceptable agenda, period. The next Legislature isn’t even elected and already the impetus to discipline and purge is running wild. It isn’t hard to see this as Dan Patrick’s effort to insinuate himself in Speaker politics, as well as positioning himself for a statewide race with the imprimatur of the tea party. Form the circular firing squad. This is going to get very ugly.