AUSTIN, Texas – In a state that once was its own nation, a Republican governor who talked about secession without completely dismissing the idea has Democratic lawmakers in an uproar. Gov. Rick Perry, in comments following an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday, never did advocate Texas breaking away from the United States but suggested that Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to leave the union.

That was enough to feed opinions for and against secession on Web sites, cable TV and talk radio across the nation.

At the Texas Capitol on Thursday, Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, joined by several fellow Texas House Democrats, said some people associate talk of secession with racial division and the Civil War and that Perry should disavow any notion of seceding.

"Talk of secession is an attack on our country. It can be nothing else. It is the ultimate anti-American statement," Dunnam said at a news conference.

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat, said that by not rejecting the possibility of secession out of hand, Perry "is taking a step down a very dangerous and divisive path encouraged by the fringe of Texas politics."

The Democrats are proposing a House resolution expressing "complete and total disagreement with any fringe element advocating the 'secession' of Texas or any other state from our one and indivisible Union."

Perry emphasized Thursday that he is not advocating secession but understands why Americans may have those feelings because of frustration with Washington, D.C. He said it's fine to express the thought. He offered no apology and did not back away from his earlier comments.

Perry's remarks Wednesday were in response to a question from The Associated Press as he walked away from the Austin rally, where some in the audience had shouted "Secede!" during his speech. The governor said he didn't think Texas should secede despite some chatter about it on the Internet and his name being associated with the idea.

"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 said Wednesday.

A day later, Perry said he found the fascination with the remark interesting.

"I refer people back to my statement and I got a charge out of it," he said. "I was kind of thinking that maybe the same people that hadn't been reading the Constitution right were reading that article and they got the wrong impression about what I said. Clearly I stated that we have a great union. Texas is part of a great union. And I see no reason for that to change."

Texas was a republic from 1836, when it declared independence from Mexico, to 1845, when it became a U.S. state.

Perry has been speaking out against the federal government lately over federal economic stimulus spending. He's also in a tough race for re-election against a fellow Republican, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, whom he is trying to portray as a Washington insider.

Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle criticized Dunnam, saying he was "trying to distract from the fact that yesterday thousands of Texans, including many in his own district, expressed their extreme displeasure at Washington's rampant taxation, big spending and bloated government."

Dunnam suggested Perry is positioning himself for his political future.

"We all knew he wanted to be president. I just didn't know it was president of the Republic of Texas," he said to chuckles from onlookers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090417/ap_on_...perry_secession

Funny how the U.S. openly encourages secessionist movements in other nations but refuses to take its own medication. Kudos to the Republic of Texas.

Agreed! simular to why the US supports succession in kosovo but does not support south ossetia. The hypocrisy is appalling

Gov Perry is welcome to china to talk about oil for fighter-jets anytime.

American double standard? I thought Americans believe that self-determination is always good for democracy and freedom.

YOU IDIOTS! Rick Perry almost got booed off the stage by his own Republican party at the convention because there are two type of conservative in Texas, The Ron Paul Conservative and the old GOP conservative...that governor is fu-king corrupted if you don't already know that.

I doubt a local governor can be as corrupted as Washington-Wall Street connection.

Let me teach you some lesson in Texas Politic sonny boy, Rick Perry wanted more power than just governorship...in fact he planned to be the vice president by supporting Rudy Giuliani in the president election so if Rudy wins...Perry might have a chance of becoming his VP. But since he failed...he lost his chance of ever being VP or President...he is known for vetoing so many good bills because his opponent didn't get what he wanted, thats corruption.

How does that negate my previous proposition? Your logic?

"Politic corrupt absolutely"

One of the laws of politic.

Your point?

There are no good guys in politic! Dummy!

So why do you believe KJI is worse than American politicians? or any politicians? your logic?

Umm he is a dictator? which is worst? Dictator or Congress? Enslaving millions citizen or Make laws? stupid use your brain!

So you do believe there are bad politicians and worst than bad politicians.

Now we back up a little bit to my original proposition:

"I doubt a local governor can be as corrupted as Washington-Wall Street connection."

Again I ask you how does your useless arguments negate my comment? Your logic?

You are doubting that local governor can't be corrupt as washington? once you're corrupt...you corrupt like crazy...there are no stopping them...THINK! THINK! use your logic! damn its like i'm replying to a 12 years old.

Finally.....After typing away several hundreds of usless words, you are back on track. But you are still mumbling....

Let me get this straight. Chinese nationalists residing in America dismiss the discussion of Tibetan or Uighur or Taiwanese secession from China by non-Chinese, but feel free to discuss Texas secession from America even though they are not Americans. Can anyone explain why this is not a hypocritical double standard? Philosophical consistency is a hard thing to maintain.

because Americans deserve a bit of retaliation?

Retaliation by climbing into the gutter?

no it's more like throw grenades back at them.

More like simians throwing feces at each other.

i don't support any succession from the US, its just that we are fed up of them trying to support successions in China when they would hate to see themselves get split up.

that's right. and if it was one monkey throwing at the other, you'd urge the other monkey to throw his $hit back.

sorry, you coming here to point out chinese hypocrisy just isn't working. really yours is the worst hypocrisy.

I don't support the break up of China. Nevertheless, I do understand the impulse for revenge. Sometimes it makes sense, but not always.



There have been times during the course of my life when I've been guilty of the sin of hypocrisy. However, since I studiously avoid substantive comment on the subjects of Taiwan and Tibet (and merely urge rough treatment for the Uighurs) I submit that I have not been a hypocrite on this thread.

You joined AF today and you claim to know me sufficiently to characterize me as a hypocrite. That means you don't really know me, or you must be an awfully quick study, or you simply have multiple accounts and are hiding your online identity?

While I'm probably a nasty man in general, on the subject of secession I am not a hypocrite. In any event it isn't in your interest to trigger my "chase instinct." Don't address me again.

this isn't about you, baal
it's about chinese and americans throwing mutual feces. I can't believe you would fail to see this point.
so that is your hypocrisy, when you avoid the obvious and reach for the improbable, just to prove your point.

Sometimes you run into people you shouldn't screw with.

First you say mine is the worst hypocrisy:



But, then you say this isn't about me:



Finally, you contradict yourself by repeating the allegation of my hypocrisy. Surely you can appreciate the confusion sown by your lack of clarity.

Your posts remind me of my youth when I tortured small animals. Are we have fun yet or what?

the $hit flinging isn't with you, that's what I'm talking about. this thread isn't about you. you made it out to be about you and how much wronged you were.

you failed to note this obvious fact. you just wanted to defend your country. I don't blame you for doing it, but pointing at chinese hypocrisy is not the way. whether you do it personally or not, your country does attack china constantly.

Emotional detachment prevents anyone from "wronging"me in cyberspace. I assume you have chosen your words carefully, e. g., your reference to "yours is the worst hypocrisy..."

I'm not defending America on this thread because there is no real threat that Texas will leave the Union. Rather, I was expressing wonder at those Chinese who were doing the same thing that they complain about. I was drawing an equivalence between them and Americans who support Tibetan separatism (Richard Gere comes to mind). I thought that most Chinese were philosophically opposed to separatism and splitism.

Chinese oppose separatism in Russia, Serbia, and never supported it in Canada, Spain, or UK. It should be clear this is just payback.

Who are you paying back? Nancy Pelosi? Barack Obama? Richard Gere?

let's get out the Jackie Chan

I don't understand your reference to JC.

Payback?
- CNN make lying, cropping, generally making $hit up to portray a bad image of China in Tibet
- Bush meeting with Dalai Lama, a former slave owner and a proven liar
- CIA continues to give money to Dharamshala
- arms embargo against China, and forcing Europeans to keep theirs
- arming Taiwan, even though it is recognized part of china
- keeping china out of international space cooperation, technology embargo, generally playing up the China threat and making us out to be pariahs. Basically USA is 100% responsible for china's image, because it switches 180 degrees from good to bad solely inline with USA needs.

CNN...it's under less govt. control than CCTV or Xinhua (sp).

Bush meeting with Dalai Lama? So what? If China doesn't like it the PRC could demonstrate its displeasure by breaking diplomatic relations.

CIA giving money to Tibetan Govt. in Exile since the end of the Cold War? I don't believe it. Prove it to my satisfaction.

Arms embargo? We would be happy to sell you all the spent cartridges you can use. Seriously, why would America want to see the PLA with improved arms? It's not in our interest.

You aren't relating Tibet to Texas in a tit for tat fashion. You're simply anti-American. I have no problem with that as long as you don't pretend to be Chinese-American or Asian-American.

Edit: What about Nancy Pelosi?

How is supporting one independence movement in retaliation for another not tit-for-tat?? I've never seen a serious attempt to be fair from you. You don't deserve more answers from me.

I've never pretended to be fair. Each of us is a partisan in some fashion. I'm respectful of China in the same way one boxer is wary and respectful of another. Adios.