Dan Patrick has gone to “war” with city governments.

Think of that for a moment. The Texas lieutenant governor blames city governments for all the problems afflicting the nation. The Republican official says, moreover, that Democratic municipal leaders are to blame for those urban problems.

Huh? Is this loudmouth suggesting that cities’ problems are exclusive to urban areas? Does he mean to suggest that rural America — and that includes Texas, of course — is immune from those maladies?

Good grief, dude!

Patrick made that declaration on Fox Business News. He all but admitted that he launched the attack for partisan purposes. He wants to lay the blame at Democrats’ feet and wants to protect Republican officeholders from criticism.

Nice try, big fella. It ain’t gonna work.

Patrick is getting some push back, of course, from city leaders. They are reminding the lieutenant governor that rural Americans suffer precisely the same problems as urban Americans: drug abuse, gun violence, sexual crimes, unwanted pregnancies, alcohol abuse … do I need to go on?

Patrick’s attack on urban Texas and the rest of the nation ignores the reality that most cities (in Texas anyway) elect their governing councils on non-partisan ballots. Mayors and city council members as a rule do not run as Democrats or Republicans. They are elected by voters on matters that next to nothing to do with party affiliation.

Lt. Gov. Patrick has decided to make it a partisan battle.

As if we don’t have enough of them already!