Patrick was genuinely angry when he blamed Lt. Gov. Dewhurst for sinking his anti-groping bill Tuesday night. But his decision to stand by that accusation in the cold light of day Wednesday afternoon was much more interesting, as was his choice of words. “Someone who will not stand up to the federal government–” Patrick said of Dewhurst, “you have to ask yourself: ‘Is that the kind of person you want in the U.S. Senate?'” Was this the first shot across the bow in a coming primary battle between Dewhurst and Patrick for U.S. Senate? Twenty-five percent of Republican primary voters polled by UT and the Texas Tribune earlier this week chose Dewhurst from a list of possible candidates, which put him well ahead of the rest of the field. But Patrick’s name was not on the list, and fifty-seven percent answered “don’t know” or “someone not on the list.” I asked Patrick this afternoon if he was going to throw his hat in the ring. After a long pause, Patrick said, “No comment, for now.”