Rick Perry Secession Remarks Echo Convicted Separatist Leader: Olbermann Guest (VIDEO)

At a Texas Tea Party Thursday, Gov. Rick Perry raised eyebrows by suggesting his state could secede from the union. On Countdown with Keith Olbermann that night, Texas political writer and Huffington Post blogger James Moore pointed out that Perry isn't the first Texan to suggest secession. He compared the Republican governor to Richard L. McLaren, a separatist leader who in 1997 took his followers into the mountains, engaged in a week-long standoff that left people dead, and now is in jail for life.

It's bad for Texas' reputation to have this "clowny hirsute governor of ours doing these silly things and doing these foolish things that are a bit of an embarrassment to all of us down here," Moore told Olbermann. Comparing Perry to McLaren, he said the governor's remarks had "transcended irresponsibility" in echoing that violent uprising. "We're seeing our governor saying the same thing, its fomenting a kind of ... civil unrest, it's just utterly irresponsible for a governor to say this kind of thing."

Asked if Perry's sudden interest in starting a new country might have something to do with his upcoming reelection battle against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Moore said, "I don't think there's anything doubt that that's got a lot to do with it." Perry is looking for "some grassroots thing to argue and energize people ... the subtext of this is the current administration" in Washington and who can stand up to it. But, Moore concluded, "a lot of people think he's gonna be tossed out on his ear."

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Comments

[Firbolg]

12:16 AM on 05/13/2009

Mark my words, this will lead to trouble.

HRH George III

[duchessofdork]

04:56 AM on 04/18/2009

Just add us to the list of states that need to replace their governors:

Alaska
South Carolina
Louisiana
Texas

[jpmdevildog]

09:40 AM on 04/17/2009

Wearing a navy blue suit and carrying a Winchester rifle, Governor Perry announced that Texas would be its own autonomous republic. The downtown Austin crowd responded with mostly polite applause and confused stares.

http://weeklyworldnews.com/politics/7674/texas-secession/

[dwright]

07:44 AM on 04/17/2009

And this is Patriotism, right?

[Jose Montoya]

10:10 PM on 04/16/2009

Texas secede? That would be awesome. Please leave, bunch of racists.

[duchessofdork]

04:50 AM on 04/18/2009

Not all of us. Some of us worked hard to get Obama elected. Some of us are working hard to turn Texas blue.

[Lincoln]

10:03 PM on 04/16/2009

Keith, calm down! You're ruining a perfectly good offer! Let them go, for Pete's sake!

Gov. Perry has made the rest of the country a splendid offer. We ought to take them up on it!

As has been noted earlier, too bad Texas didn't offer to do this nine years ago.

The rest of us should be looking for ways to help these folks out! That would be the only truly patriotic thing to do! :-)

[duchessofdork]

04:53 AM on 04/18/2009

Some of us are working to change TX from the inside. Why don't you help us instead of lump us in with the yahoos.

[rinpochet]

09:15 PM on 04/16/2009

Another word for this is treason.

It won't happen but if it did, do you really think all those seniors want to give up their social security and medi-care? No US post office? No federal money for disasters, etc., etc., etc.

[duchessofdork]

04:52 AM on 04/18/2009

Perry just asked for more FEMA money to help with the Texas wildfires. Can you believe his nerve?

[americanalien]

08:08 PM on 04/16/2009

Texas has always been a drag on the United States. Let them go and wallow in their poverty.

[duchessofdork]

04:54 AM on 04/18/2009

Gee thanks. All of us Obama voters in TX are grateful for your fairness, kindness and goodwill.

[touchtype]

07:31 PM on 04/16/2009

i once knew a texan. secession is a good idea. under one condition: will tobacco taxes be rescinded? they will? hey, great, let them go!

[exile]

06:10 PM on 04/16/2009

having lived in texas for several years i would say...

the second texas is on it's own the bigger flood from mexico would over run those big ol' good ol' country folk with their funny little rambo fixations.

[itsjustanillusion]

04:19 PM on 04/16/2009

All of this because we have a black president!

[Whatashame]

05:11 PM on 04/16/2009

I know. its SAD. They should go to therapy instead.

[Mintcondition]

03:48 PM on 04/16/2009

Yes, my thoughts exactly. How do these KKKRack pots get away with this?

[CC1]

02:06 AM on 04/20/2009

How do your r__Cist posts get through moderation?!

[noamjunior]

03:38 PM on 04/16/2009

maybe they can start up that texas fence idea - but this time put it all around texas

[noamjunior]

03:35 PM on 04/16/2009

9 years too late perry- you should have done it in 1999 and saved the US and the world from W

[MillinMn]

03:11 PM on 04/16/2009

Mr. Perry

Please be sure to return all that cool military gear to the proper US authorities as your separation from the United States commences. And the tax subsidies to oil companies. And the federal student aid. And the highway money. And let us know if you'll guard your side of the border with the vigor that your right-wing-extremist citizens suggest, so we can not bother on our side. And be sure to have a valid passport and visa when you visit the remaining USA ... we're rethinking our friendly approach to borders, given your expressed hatred for the USA, and without proper photo id you might be incarcerated until we can deport you to some accepting sovereign land.

Thank you,

Patriotic Citizen of US

[DawnK]

04:02 PM on 04/16/2009

That is perfect.