[Nuclear1]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/15/gov-rick-perry-texas-coul_n_187490.html

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry fired up an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday with his stance against the federal government and for states' rights as some in his U.S. flag-waving audience shouted, "Secede!"

An animated Perry told the crowd at Austin City Hall -- one of three tea parties he was attending across the state -- that officials in Washington have abandoned the country's founding principles of limited government. He said the federal government is strangling Americans with taxation, spending and debt.

Perry repeated his running theme that Texas' economy is in relatively good shape compared with other states and with the "federal budget mess." Many in the crowd held signs deriding President Barack Obama and the $786 billion federal economic stimulus package.

Perry called his supporters patriots. 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."

LOL Texans..

[Janos]

"There's a black man in the white house and we're terrified"

[Colonol Dekker]

The US would have to import burgers, country and western, and drill sergeants

[Mr. Vega]

They want to secede! Great! I can join an army of loyal Texans and kill or imprison all of these old southern segregationalists that pretend that they're real Texans, and then we can reenter the union much healthier than before. Sounds great to me.

[StarSlayer]

The US would have to import burgers, country and western, and drill sergeants

Nashville Tennessee is generally considered the capital of country and R. Lee Ermey is from Kansas.

Besides Kinky Friedman will be the next Governor of Texas

[Mr. Vega]

Besides Kinky Friedman will be the next Governor of Texas

Hell, I voted for him

[Sushi]

I don't think many Texans want to secede. I think a lot of them DO consider it an option, though, if things get "bad enough."

Which, IMO, is an important check on the power of the federal government. I LIKE the idea that states have enough autonomous power to make secession a viable reality if/when the federal government gets out of control. Do I think that Texas (or any other state) has a good case for secession right now? Heck no. Could that possibly change someday? Heck yes.

And if the federal government really does ever degenerate to the point where it entirely ceases to protect its people, then states SHOULD secede if they value their freedom.

[Blue Lion]

New update

Interesting part bolded for easy reading and extra funny

In March, Texas Gov. Rick Perry rejected $555 million in federal stimulus money that would have expanded unemployment benefits for Texans. Perry argued at the time that accepting the stimulus dollars would force the state to expand eligibility to include thousands of low-wage workers — including part-time employees like single mothers, college students and senior citizens — which Perry bemoaned would burden tax payers with “higher taxes and expanded obligations.” When explaining the decision, Perry told Fox News, “this was pretty simple for us.” But now Perry is reversing his decision. Texas has asked the federal government for a $170 million loan to ensure the state is able to continue paying out unemployment benefits:

    Texas is now asking the federal government for a $170 million loan so that benefits keep getting paid.

    “This is nothing out of the ordinary. We’re following protocol that we put in place,” said Governor Rick Perry.

    Texas has asked for this loan only one other time, in 2003. This year however, the decision is getting extra attention after Governor Rick Perry rejected federal stimulus money that would have replenished the fund.

Texas is expected to request $650 million, roughly $100 million more than Perry initially rejected. At a “tea party protest” in April, Perry trumpeted his decision to reject stimulus dollars from the Obama administration. “I believe the federal government has become oppressive,” he said, adding that he might even consider seceding from the Union.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/16/perry-follows-protocol/

"We don't want your money! We'll leave before we take your money!"

(later)

"Can we have more money please?"

[karajorma]

Mexico called. They said they'll have Texas back if America is done with it.

[Narvi]

This whole "secession" thing is just waah waah politico tactics which nobody takes seriously.

They want to secede! Great! I can join an army of loyal Texans and kill or imprison all of these old southern segregationalists that pretend that they're real Texans, and then we can reenter the union much healthier than before. Sounds great to me.

That didn't really work very well last time.

[Ghostavo]

Silly Texans.

[Mr. Vega]

I was suggesting I'd fight for the Union silly.

[Mr. Vega]

Also, Perry is a nut who wins because he's friends with all the other rich Southern nuts in the state who give him money. And people outside Texas forget that Texan governors have NO power whatsoever. He's like Ahmadinejad- he can afford to be a nut because he sure as hell can't actually do anything that the legislature disagrees with. Doesn't make the actual Texas part of Texas any less likable. You want to bash Texas in general, first you have to bash San Antonio, one of the most beautiful cities in the country. You have to go after Austin. Need I break out my no overgeneralizations rule again?

[McCall]

Can states legally leave the union, or is the current composition set in stone now?

Wonder if the same applies here too... could England legally leave the UK?

Any constitutional (I know we don't have a written one - yet) law experts out there?

[Mr. Vega]

Lincoln described it as an unlawful insurrection, and since the North won the Civil War, it's safe to say no.

[Scotty]

There is no place in the Constitution prohibiting state secession.  Since it isn't in the Constitution, specifically applied to the Federal Government, 10th Amendment gives the issue to the individual states' governments.

[Narvi]

I was suggesting I'd fight for the Union silly.

No, I meant that the last civil war didn't really work out for the loyalist sentim... never mind.

[Sushi]

Can states legally leave the union, or is the current composition set in stone now?

Wonder if the same applies here too... could England legally leave the UK?

Any constitutional (I know we don't have a written one - yet) law experts out there?

It's kind of moot, really. If your state is really pissed off/abused enough that they're determined to leave, they'll attempt it whether or not it's "legal" to do so.

[headdie]

Can states legally leave the union, or is the current composition set in stone now?

Wonder if the same applies here too... could England legally leave the UK?

Any constitutional (I know we don't have a written one - yet) law experts out there?

if England leaves the UK then the UK would become the Disunited Kingdom as we are the only 'full' member of the kingdom now.

the other way to look at it would be that NI, Wales and Scotland now have their own national assemblies so i suppose the UK would become a mini USA style government which scares the crap out of me tbh

[iamzack]

Lincoln described it as an unlawful insurrection, and since the North won the Civil War, it's safe to say no.

Lincoln never considered the states themselves seceded. He treated it as the citizens themselves committing treason. And since there are no provisions for states leaving the union, you can see it as a state's right, if you want. But since a state government is people, if the government decides to secede the state, there's a good argument for "the state didn't secede, the government officials are just committing treason."

Can states legally leave the union, or is the current composition set in stone now?

Texas is a special state. States can't legally split into more states (just ignore Maine and West Virginia for a moment...), but Texas can split into up to 5 states if it wants. It can also legally leave at any time. Texas was an independent country before we annexed it, IIRC, and it came in by treaty with its own special provisions.