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Dems: Perry is out of line

AUSTIN -- Republican Gov. Rick Perry insisted Thursday that his remarks about secession were not intended as an argument that Texas should leave the union, but Democrats still called his comments reckless and anti-American.

Perry's comments following an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday never did advocate Texas breaking away from the United States but did suggest that Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to secede. And 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 that 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.

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 was not advocating secession but understood why Americans might 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.

In his remarks Wednesday, Perry said he didn't think Texas should secede despite some chatter about it on the Internet and the association of his name with the idea. Perry answered the question as he walked away from the rally where some in the audience had shouted "Secede!" during his speech.

"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."

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, and is trying to portray her as a Washington insider.

Last week, Perry joined state lawmakers in showing support for a Texas resolution championing states' rights provided for in the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. He voiced support for states' rights again Thursday. He also defended freedom of speech to a room full of journalists.

"This is America, baby. First Amendment. We like it too, as well as the Second and the 10th [amendment]," he said.

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.

Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle responded, "It's unfortunate that Representative Dunnam is 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."

Other Democrats weighed in with criticism of Perry's remark.

"Talk of secession would be laughable if it weren't mentioned in a serious way," said former Ambassador Tom Schieffer, who's considering running for governor in 2010.

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat, said some issues should not be made legitimate in any way.

"By not rejecting out of hand the possibility of secession, Governor Perry is taking a step down a very dangerous and divisive path encouraged by the fringe of Texas politics," Ellis said.