Apr 15 2009
Perry Goes Overboard On Texas Seceding
I was with Texas Governor Perry (R) to a point on states demanding the Fed get back into their constitutionally limited box. I have been an opponent of the ever intruding, social engineering experiments from DC for decades. I really liked the federalism tones in what Perry was doing – then he jumped the shark:
Later, answering news reporters’ questions, Perry suggested Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to secede from the union, though he said he sees no reason why Texas should do that.
“There’s a lot of different scenarios,” Perry said. “We’ve got a great union. There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we’re a pretty independent lot to boot.”
Perry is running for re-election against U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a fellow Republican. His anti-Washington remarks have become more strident the past few weeks as that 2010 race gets going and since Perry rejected $550 million in federal economic stimulus money slated to help Texas’ unemployment trust fund.
Throw this into the category of ‘politicians will say anything to get elected’ – which in many cases means they will also say something to destroy any chance of being elected. I don’t know for sure, but Perry just handed Hutchison a bit of ammunition, and I doubt Texans are for leaving the US of A. Not sure, but I would not be surprised if this just cost Perry dearly. You can only kow tow to the rabid base so much before the folks in the center jump ship. Against a Dem I would not be so sure of a Perry disaster, against a sitting GOP senator I now think he is toast.
At least he went out with a bang!
Assuming you quoted him exactly, I didn’t see where he favored seceding. I did see where he thought Texans might get fed up enough to want to but I didn’t see where he said he is in favor of it, or that he supported them in that action. In fact: he said he sees no reason why Texas should do that.
I hope all Republican governors speak out strongly against the travesty of Washington, DC
I doubt that Perry has much chance against KBH regardless of what he does.
followup: I just went to another site and listened to audio of the incident. A reporter (tongue in cheek) asked him if “now that you’ve pledged your allegiance to the radicalized right wing extremists, do you think we might be considered as an actual terrorist state.
Perry said he didn’t think so, that he didn’t know who the numbskull was that wrote that report but you probably couldn’t find him in the halls of the DHS today.
Lot’s of laughter.
Don’t know if it was the same press conf or not, (your link says he was at three different tea parties so it was probably a different one) he said this at this conf:“Texas is a unique place. When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that,” Perry said. “My hope is that America and Washington in particular pays attention. We’ve got a great union. There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, who knows what may come of that.”
seceding was not mentioned at this conf, so must have been a different time and place.
Just FYI, on Perry’s 1845 statement, Texas came into the union with the ability to divide into five states, not withdraw. After seceding during the Civil War, Texas was allowed to re-enter the union after ratifying the 13th Amendment. The 13th Amendment banned slavery in the United States and any territory subject to its jurisdiction.
UPDATED: Texas v White, a U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 1869, said Texas cannot secede.
From:
http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2009/04/perry_says_texa.html
Didn’t say those exact words but certainly implied it.
It’s a TX thing. In 2000 I was living in TX and had more than one person mention leaving the union if the Florida recount went the wrong way. I laughed at first, thought it was a joke. Which it is but they’re fairly prideful down that way so I stifled my giggling. I wouldn’t make too much of this.
He doesn’t need to actually say the word “secede” in order to be obviously talking about seceding. Unless, of course, the person interpreting his comments has the reading comprehension skills of a poodle. (See: RedTeam)
I’m also curious if Rush jumped the shark today, if it’s even possible for him to do so at this point. The headline today at rushlimbaugh.com, concerning the heroic rescue of Capt. Phillips by Navy SEALs, is:
President Obama Ordered the Killing of Three Black Muslim Kids
No, I’m not kidding – that’s HIS website. This isn’t out of context.
WELL at least GuyF ‘thinks’ he has a sense of humor.
I definitely read that Perry thought a lot of Texans would think about seceding, but never said himself that he was thinking it was a good idea.
GuyF however, doesn’t always have a sense of humor:
President Obama Ordered the Killing of Three Black Muslim Kids
are you saying he ‘didn’t’ order that killing?
People outside Texas don’t realize that Perry only won re-election last time with 40% of the vote – which meant that right from the get-go, 60% of the voters didn’t like him and still don’t like him. To me, he’s just a Republican Rod Blagjovich. (A lot of similarities there, especially behind the scenes, that his supporters don’t want to know about.)
KBH has been way ahead of him in the early statewide polls, so he’s already gone into the do-anything, say-anything mode of the desperate candidate.
He won re-election with 40% since the 2 independants and the democrat took only about 20% each. His campaign strategy was to do nothing and just let the 3 chumps beneath him destroy each other, which they did. It was ridiculous.
I support the 10th Amerndment movement the states sre stressing right now. I think it does show their concern and clearly tells DC to “back off”. However, the statements about seceding were not necessary. Probably only Texans would appreciate it, anyway. Tells me he is not ready for the National scene. Although, that didn’t stop Obama last year.
Regarding Rush’s statement.
I listened to the whole show. It was a spoof. He start by saying what the media would be reporting if it were a republican president who ordered the shooting. He joked (with probably some truth) that they would be saying that Bush ordered the execution of three black Muslim teenagers, which they were.
As part of the joke he then began referring to the rescue as if he were the MSM and it was a republican president who ordered the execution.
You may not think its funny but at least admit it was a joke. A joke that does have some truth to it.
A note on this 10th amendment talk – unless the Supreme Court backs this change (It won’t) then this is all just a bunch of meaningless hot air spewed out to make people think something is happening.
It’s just sound and fury, signifying nothing.
“As part of the joke he then began referring to the rescue as if he were the MSM and it was a republican president who ordered the execution.”
If I recall correctly, there was a Republican President who started this little thing I like to call “The War in Iraq”. Presumably, quite a few teenage Muslims have died during that little incident. And I don’t recall the MSM reacting the way Rush says they would.
So, in terms of a “joke” – I vote FAIL.
As someone who lives in San Antonio and works in the major Texas markets, I don’t see how a moderate/conservative Republican like Hutchinson is going to win against Perry. Forget the polls, Perry, who I thought was just a pretty face, is making some smart political moves that will resonate within the Republican grass-root voters of Texas. What’s Hutchinson going to do to out “whataburger” him now?
In a state that still remembers and reveres the “Alamo,” a little Texas independence musing stirs a little Texas pride even if it makes the cocktail crowd uncomfortable.
You can say all you want to about his 40% vote, but he won without even trying. He kept his powder very dry and is loaded for little baby bear.
Guy,
Yep, the standard liberal response. Bring up the war on Iraq. That’s all you can say. The media was brutal on Bush in Iraq.
What Rush is joking about it the general way the media distorted anything Bush did. He was not saying there was a one-to-one correspondence between what he said and some specific statement the media said.
If you do not think its funny then don’t laugh. But do not read Rush and then press his opinion, comments or statements onto the rest of the republican party. Would you say its far for me to go to the Daily Kos and pull every racist, anti-semetic, anti-american statement and then call all democrats to answer to for it?
What is wrong with seceding? The 13 colonies seceded from the British empire. (Wrongly in my view) The USA supported the violent secession movements in Yugoslavia. Secession is just self-determination. Vive le Québec libre!
Gary……….you have it. I will probably vote Perry. No, I do not want to ‘leave the Union’ but I am sick of all Senators, including KBH. I have voted for her many times but this falls in the catagory of being forced to do the McCain vote. Nothing on God’s green earth could make me vote for someone that labeled this country as Torturers, again. Then the snake turned on Palin. This Texan agrees with Rush and WANTS Obama to fail because I think he is deadly to this country.
I have tried to not watch politics for the last 3 months because Mom always said if you couldn’t say anything good………
I live in Irving Texas and I don’t think Hutchinson will win either. Nobody will vote for anyone coming out of Congress…she will be seen as part of the problem we are facing…not a solution.
And about seceding…people in my office have been talking about it for weeks so Perry musing about it is just like a lot of Texans…we are worried about where the country is going right now and would like to get away from all the madness and live free and prosper.
I’m laughing Jacq because I have heard similar comments. It must truly be a Texan thing because we can’t believe the madness in the air. Reminds me of Katrina. I imagine Bush is still shaking his head over that craziness. Baton Rouge an HOUR away from N.O. I think we would have ridden horses in to get our people out and then they sent half of them to Texas. Go figure.