I know that PinkDome has limited the use of the term "douchebag" to Ben Bentzin, but I really think Sen. Dan Patrick is making a concerted effort to claim the retired moniker.
Yesterday, Imam Yusuf Kavakci of the Dallas Central Mosque became the first Muslim cleric to offer the daily invocation on the floor of the Senate. And this apparently made Sen. Patrick mad enough to stage his own little mini-protest by walking off the Senate floor before the prayer and refusing to return until much later. Sen. Shapiro, in whose district the Imam lives, responded by telling the Imam that his presence was appreciated by "28 of my colleagues on the Senate floor."
Patrick's reasoning?
"I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that," said Patrick, a freshman Republican from Houston.Ahhh, the old "they're lucky we let 'em live in our country" routine. That Dan Patrick's a classy guy - you should be proud, Harris County.Patrick later gave a short speech on the Senate floor in which he called Kavakci's prayer an "extraordinary moment" that underscores that America is a nation "so tolerant of others we bend over backwards to allow others to pray as they wish."
He pointed out that other countries would not do the same for Christians and Jews, who are observing Easter and Passover this week.
And is this really part of his platform for statewide office? I mean, being the candidate that refuses to listen to prayers in another religion about the mercy of God is a great way to paint yourself. Of course, being the candidate with the Gary Busey teeth* doesn't help either.
^thanks, anon.
You'd think a progressive blog like PinkDome would be more concerned with Imam Kavakci's refusal to disavow sympathies with anti-gay and misogynistic human rights abusers... even if, in this case, it means passing up a chance to snark at a stinky right-wing Christian like Dan Patrick.
http://lonestartimes.com/2007/04/05/imam-kavakci-dan-patrick-and-the-msm/
Wasn't this also an Islamic holiday when the Imam did his prayer? So why should it matter if Easter is right around the corner? That's like saying you can't celebrate Hannukah when it overlaps with Christmas.
Our embarrassment is that there are thousands of people just like Dan Patrick who live in the white, racist suburban shithole that is Senate District 7.
People around Houston also elected Tom Delay. Multiple times.
Keith Moon said "Houston is just a hick town with more millionaires per square inch."
Anonymous
someone should have clued in Dan about the Imam's hatred of the gays. With that in common I'm sure they'd make fast friends.
Maybe it was the Imam's dynamite vest that was making Dan nervous.
I think Patrick is definately in the running for the Arlene Wohlgemuth Memorial Award (the coveted "Arly"), bestowed upon the legislator who best exemplifies the Wohlgemuthian attributes of arrogance, ignorance, sanctimony and viciousness. However, he faces stiff competition in Rep. Robert Talton, who has filled Arlene's sensible shoes admirably with his crusade against poor children (and, of course, the homosexuals who threaten to brainwash them).
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Makes me not regret leaving the church.