Chris Matthews Slams Gov. Rick Perry For Secessionist Group Involvement: "Ignorance Of These People Is Unbelievable" (VIDEO)

Despite the ridicule Texas Governor Rick Perry received when he suggested during a 'tea party' protest that Texas could secede from the Union if it wanted to, that hasn't stopped him from continuing to promote the notion.

Perry is involved with a group called the Texas Nationalist Movement, and they held a secessionist rally on the steps of the state capitol.

One of the speakers cited Sam Houston as a secessionist role model, prompting Matthews to point out that nothing could be further from the truth. Matthews took Perry and his group to task, remarking at the beginning of the segment, "The ignorance of these people is unbelievable."

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Comments

[jimpager]

Dear Mr. Mathews,

If Texas wants to succeed from the union, who are we to stop them???
Here's a baker's dozen things for them to consider before taking down the flag, however...

1) No more fat government defense contracts...and give us back NASA.
2) Close down all those military bases protecting us from Mexico.
3) We WILL put up a wall to prevent illegal immigration from Texas.
4) No backs. Once you've seceeded, you've succeeded.
5) No Foreign aid.
6) No more medicare, medicaid, or social security.
7) No cotton allotments.
8) No agriculture or cattle breeding subsidies.
9) No oil tax breaks.
10) No John Birchers or Klansmen begging for asylum in the US.
11) No flyover rights.
12) No crude oil from Alaska...or Canada.
13) America's oil and mineral rights extend 200 miles into the Gulf of Mexico and will be patrolled and enforced by the United States Navy. And WE will "drill baby drill."

And if you screw with the US, we might just return the favor.

[Libby48]

Hey Chris.....my leg has a tingling feeling going on...is there a fix????
Wish I lived in Texas....they are one of the last great "American" states!!!!

[bighat]

Some of you suggested that land grant Universities such as Texas A & M, a land grant university would lose their land if Tx seced from the union.

Please explain why TX A & M would lose their land grants?

[guitargeorge1964]

I think that recent elections are demonstrating that Republicans want their leaders to be the dumbest and loudest people they can find. Rick Perry, Michael Steele, Bachman, Palin and of course W. and Cheney and a couple of dozen more, have one thing in common. They spout lines and rhetoric that really demonstrate a lack of intelligence. They are all clowns who have flourished in post 9/11 America. The further we move away from 9/11 the more people seem to be finally grasping this. I live in Texas, I was born here. I don't know of too many people who don't know that Sam Houston was removed from office because of his anti-secessionist stance. Who is this clown to stand there with a microphone on our state capital and spout nonsense about how Great Americans want to leave the United States? Simply incredible.

[huffy2001]

Let 'em go...please. Please, just go.

[bighat]

President Obama

Please ask congress to let my people go>

[smartenoughforthisforum]

Don't even ask, Aggie. Just go.

[RedKnuckles]

OK, lets see....if they secede they lose their 2 (republican) senators and all their US reps. The filibuster threshold would go down, so sure let them go.

[maryoca]

Take Texas.....­.......ple­ase!

[sf girl]

As usual, the right wing is using falsehoods to promote a cause and the ignorant will believe them. Sad.

[davemundy]

Who says the Texas Nationalist Movement is all "right-wing?" Our vice president is a confirmed liberal. I'm more of a fiscal conservative/social libertarian.
Please don't stereotype. You can oppose what we propose, but at least base that on facts, not hatred.

[sf girl]

You're right, I shouldn't stereotype and usually I try not to do such things. But I never stated that I thought the movement was all right wing, I don't believe that to be true. It seems, though, that folks who are anti-federal government and are usually to the extreme right.

[jokelley]

Rick, stop teasing us!

[ggaitherii]

I live in Texas and these folks are not representative of the majority. Any thinking individual knows that Texas cannot provide it's own defense and foot the bill for all of its own services. These folks are caught up in some serious romanticism of the "Texas Way". None of them would dare pick up an arm if the US Military showed up to check on this secession stuff.

[nonofyabusiness]

You Right!!! No One one Really Wants to See the 4th Infantry Division coming From the West and the US. Marines coming up through Galveston Bay.(esp these yahoos )

[damyanky]

Oh, but I DO want to see that! What a great day of TV news that would be! It would give W a way to feel important. Leading the insurrection! I can see him now in lots of braid and brass buttons and medals on his chest --- but no pants, with his little, close-set shifty eyes flicking back and forth the way they did during Teddy's funeral.

[davemundy]

Why would the US military be used against civilians seeking a peaceful political solution to a problem? Isn't that what fascist governments do?
Maybe I'm wrong, but hasn't the U.S. spent the last century meddling around the world in the name of "self-dete­rmination?­" What moral justification could there be to use military force to prevent the people of Texas from exercising self-determination? (And that's assuming we could muster the votes, which we clearly grant is not certain!)
I *AM* an old Marine, nonofyabusiness. I bled for that flag you claim to wrap yourself in. And now I have to reject that flag because it represents a government which has lost touch with its constitutional limits. That government can no longer be "fixed" because both major parties are merely pawns of special interests and Big Money. We feel we can return Texas to the limited government envisioned by the founding fathers and prevent the concentration of political power and its attendant corruption by constitutionally prohibiting political parties.

[Json]

"Any thinking individual knows that Texas cannot provide it's own defense and foot the bill for all of its own services."

Those people need to start speaking up...loudly! These people are an embarrassment to TX and to america in general. I'm glad I live in Massachusetts where we get all nutty, we expand social services or let gays get married. Seems like a much healthier outlet for fervor.

[davemundy]

Fifteen percent of the US military members are Texans. We own our own equipment already. In addition to the federal troops, Texas' National Guard and Texas State Guard forces alone outnumber our only possible "enemy," Mexico.
You're assuming we'll be fighting the U.S. Why? Those are our brothers and sisters. Even if we separate, we share deeply-held cultural and economic ties. There's no need to fight.

[bighat]

Why would we face the U.S. military?

We are talking about congress letting Texas go.

Are you in favor of the U.S. govt using the military to keep Texas in the union when so many people want Texas out of the union.

Think of the good things. Other states would not have to adapt Texas text books

[hardlyhikin]

Do you really believe the rest of the country would all of a sudden want a bunch of undocumented Texans running around our country?

[hardlyhikin]

They'd be busy defending their southern border with Mexico! All the Border Patrol guys would move to New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas & Louisiana.

[nonofyabusiness]

It's laughable that a few hundred yahoos actually took the governor's Tea-Laden talk of seccesion seriously. Remember it was at a Tea Party which most states had. Plus remember it was just a Hate Prep Rally on a day many people hate the Governmnent, Dem and Rep, anways, April 15th . Actually I still believe Alien invasion and alien abductions are still of much broader and serious debate with all the cattle mutilations and all.

All kidding aside, this "LET TEXAS SHOOT ITSELF IN THE HEAD/& THEN CASTRATE ITSELF" talk on Huff. I believe it's mainly directed at the Pi.ssants of Texas society and their ludicrous hate-filled numbers. We all know this talk of seccesion starts with the color of certain Gentelman's skin. Heck I'd say the same thing to the Rascist Pi,ssants in Arizona if they wanted to secede. BTW when this is all over, and reform is passed, I'm sure plenty of people will still be Watching the very "American" Dallas Cowboys this season

The REAL feelings of Texans right about now are more along the lines of "ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?".....

[smartenoughforthisforum]

Having grown up there, I'd say you're last line is right on. Particularly on Friday nights when the whole world stops until the games end circa 10 pm.

[davemundy]

nonofya, you're aware that the Texas Nationalist Movement has been in existence since Bush was president -- the FIRST Bush -- aren't you? I did my first story on them in 1997. I joined them in 2006.
This isn't about Democrats in charge of Congress, my friend.

[LeAnn Cammack]

What happens if Texas does secede? What do we do without the federal military bases? We’d lose that revenue and those civilian jobs associated with the bases, and the communities that are part of those bases.

What does Texas do without the federal funds it receives?
“In the 2008–09 biennium, appropriated Federal Funds total $51.0 billion and make up 30.4 percent of the state budget” , and “Most of the Federal Funds Texas receives (95.7 percent) are for services provided through the Health and Human Services, Business and Economic Development, and Education functions within the General Appropriations Act.”

95.7%! There is no way that Texas revenues can make up that amount. And what would you cut? Medicaid ?– I suppose we could let poor people die or hock their way to health and absolute abject poverty . How about CHIP funding (Children’s Health Insurance Program) – do we just tolerate rare childhood diseases re-occurring among the working class?

How about we cut funding to Child Support enforcement? To special education preschool grants?

I know, we can do without Homeland Security Grants! No? Hospital bioterrorism preparedness? Weren’t we all supposed to be worried to death of terrorists sneaking across the Border? Do we give up being prepared, just in case? Or does bravado deflect anthrax spores?

Not to mention special appropriations for natural disasters.

Texas Legislative Budget Board
http://www.lbb.state.tx.us/Federal_Funds/Watch_2008/Federal_Funds_051608.pdf

[Thucydides Jr.]

The next time Perry said anything encouraging or promoting secession, I'd send him a letter stating flatly that if he does it again, I'd arrest him for inciting civil insurrection. At the capital. With cameras.

[davemundy]

I'll say it. Make sure you spell my name right on the warrant.

[escribacat]

Does the rest of Texas not have any problem with their governor being involved with this? Do they take him seriously? Is this guy for real? Is there something wrong with the water? Too many snake bites? What gives?

[nonofyabusiness]

An answer to your questions

Yes many of us do have a problem with our version of Sarah Palin.

Only GOP Gomer's take him seriously

Who knows he's a Republican (he was saying seccesion to rally his loons of Black POTUS haters)

Waters fine. We use it to brew Bud Light

I wish a copperhead would bite him on the @$$

????

[hardlyhikin]

Bud Light should NOT be offered as a determining factor of water quality; it's barely potable as it is.

When I was stationed at Amarillo AFB in the 60's all the natives had permanently brown stained teeth from the natural level of fluoride in the water.

[Herekitty]

Only the wackadoos take "Texas Secessionist" seriously. Mostly Texans are sane!

[metroretro]

Does the rest of Texas not have any problem with their governor being involved with this?
I have plenty off problems with him enciting a right w ing te r r o r ist group like the Texas Nationalist Movement.

Do they take him seriously?
No, he is a fool

Is this guy for real?
Totally fake and playing to his percieved base

Is there something wrong with the water?
No, it's the mega churches

Too many snake bites?
If only

What gives?
A politician behind in the poles trying to get any media attention he can and keep his luna tic base engaged

[davemundy]

Perry is not "involved" with the TNM. He made his secession statements in response to our chants, thinking to add a little support to his re-election bid.
All we've done is called him on it.
You're welcome.

[RossKM]

That's Texas for you ignorant and proud of it. I guess it's the way there were raised!

[davemundy]

At least we'uns can spell, RossKM. :)