The Texas Senate has generally been a bit quirky. There’s more lately. Follow closely:

One Texas state senator e-mails his colleagues that a fellow senator is spreading untrue rumors about him.

The accused senator says the accuser’s accusation is untrue — which the accuser could have learned had the accuser called him before accusing him to other senators.

And, both accuser and accused want to preside over the Senate.

Sen. Dan Patrick, the very conservative Republican radio host from Houston, has accused fellow Republican Sen. John Carona of Dallas of spreading malicious rumors about Patrick and his wife.

Patrick e-mailed his 30 fellow senators, which quickly went viral with the help of the Quorum Report on-line newsletter.

Carona responded that it wasn’t true. He questioned whether Patrick, who he called a “snake oil salesman,” was trying to sandbag Carona’s attempt to preside over the Texas Senate, while promoting his own.

Both hope to preside over the Texas Senate as lieutenant governor should current Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst be elected to the U.S. Senate this year.

If he is, senators will choose from among them a senator to act as lieutenant governor for the remaining two years of Dewhurst’s four-year term. A lieutenant governor elected by Texas voters will be chosen in the 2014 election.

Carona hopes at least 15 of his 30 colleagues will vote for him to replace Dewhurst if he wins the U.S. Senate seat.

Patrick, sensing his colleagues wouldn’t choose him, wants senators to choose a place-holder who won’t run in 2014 — when he is considering running.

Three Republican statewide office-holders are considering the race: Comptroller Susan Combs, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, and Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.

The part of Patrick’s e-mail that drew the battle line:

“Members, I wish I didn't have to address this issue with you, but I've been put in a position where I have no choice. . . .

“I was in Dallas last week and learned that Senator Carona has told people outside the Senate that Jan and I are separated and may get divorced. He added in a few other negative comments about me in an obvious attempt by him to discredit me for some reason. . . .

“For John to do this to (my wife Jan) is a despicable and low thing to do. . . . There is no excuse or justification for his actions. He could have easily checked the story out to see if it was true. He didn't care if it was true.

“Whether Senator Carona is the one who made up this lie, or is simply guilty of spreading it, it is equally offensive. . . .”

Patrick then asked that Carona apologize to Jan Patrick, and signed off.

Carona, whose reputation is that you better not ask him to fight unless you really want to, sent this response:

Dan:

“The e-mail which you blasted to our colleagues and then provided to the media is false and you would have known that had you called or e-mailed before sending it.

“Though I have heard rumors regarding your marital status and sexual preferences for a while now, at no time have I told anyone that you are either separated, divorced, or gay. These are private matters between you, your family, and your minister and none of us wishes to engage in the public discussion that you have now commenced.

“Call me cynical, but I believe your motivation for pulling this stunt centers around your paranoia over the 2014 Lt. Governor's Race (for which you appear to have declared candidacy) and your concern that no other Senate Republican emerge as a threat to your ambitions.

“As you know, if you truly believed I had said something unflattering, you could have simply asked.  I've never been shy about sharing my dislike and distrust of you.  Put bluntly, I believe you are a snake oil salesman; a narcissist that would say anything to draw attention to himself.

“Before you rely upon gossip next time, why not just give me a call.  You might avoid making yourself look silly.... again.”

John Carona

Longtime Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, then e-mailed Patrick, saying his e-mail was the first she’d heard of the rumors.

“I simply cannot imagine Senator Carona ever spreading any rumors about anyone. Your e-mail judges him and assumes that all of us will too — on the basis of an anonymous accusation.

“I know him well enough to know that he says what he means and means what he says — and isn’t shy about it. He also believes in (and practices) face-to-face interaction, not backstabbing.

“My questions follow:

“1) Who said this to you? Given your earlier e-mail, we have a right to know.

“2) Why didn’t you contact Senator Carona, instead of accusing him before the entire Senate?”

This probably isn’t over. And, there’s always the chance that Dewhurst loses the U.S. Senate race, and remains as lieutenant governor.

Contact McNeely at davemcneely111@gmail.com or 512/458-2963.