Tom Delay weighs in on Gov. Perrys' secession speech

[dos pelos]

There seems to be some current in the Texas political class that resonates with the secession idea.Tom Delay,in answer to an interviewers question on secession said:

DeLAY: Texas was a republic. It joined the Union by treaty. There’s a process in the treaty by which Texas could divide into five states. If we invoke that, and the last time it was voted on was 1985, the United States Senate would kick us out and nullify the treaty because they’re not going to allow 10 new Texas senators into the Senate. That’s how you secede.

Again,this is a serious problem,it is a little fire at the moment,a bit of gasoline is being poured on it daily.I think as the economy continues to worsen we'll hear more of this sort of thing.

The interview:

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/16/delay-secede/

[elizfeelinggreat]

1. We will hear more

because that's all they've got - but don't believe they're sincere because they are not.

Seeing the results of the last election he should realize the republicans may not have such a lock on senators going forward.

Think of the new electoral map, this might be a good thing!

Keep talking Tom. And please, smile continuously so we are reminded of your mug shot.

[DFW]

2. We will indeed

But there is nothing behind it except for a desperate desire for attention, something
they are not otherwise much worthy of these days.

[KharmaTrain]

3. Let's Break Texas Into 5 States...

Their 1845 Constitution calls for it...

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/texas.asp

The admission of Texas to the Union posed the potential for upsetting the delicate political balance between free states and slave states. Not only would the annexation of Texas add another slave state to the U.S., but that state would be a vast chunk of territory — nearly four times as large as the then-largest state, Missouri — which would extend the slaveholding portion of the U.S. far beyond its current western boundary. Moreover, the northern portion of Texas intruded beyond the 36°30'N line of latitude which had been established as the demarcation point between free territory and slave territory by the 1820 Missouri Compromise (although the provisions of that compromise technically applied only to "all that territory ceded by France to the United States, under the name of Louisiana" and therefore did not encompass Texas). For their part, some southerners wanted to be able to carve additional slave states out of the huge Texas territory in order to counter the admission of free states and thereby maintain the balance of power between free and slave states in the Senate. The slavery issue (at the time, 90% of Texans were neither slaves nor slaveholders) was addressed in the Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States, approved by Congress on 1 March 1845, which included a provision allowing Texas to be sub-divided into up to four more states with slavery being banned in states carved out of Texas territory north of the Missouri Compromise line and left up to popular sovereignty in states formed south of the line:

Let's let the folks there vote on this. Who gives a rat's ass what the bugman has to say...he has no power or political office. Where's Ronnie Earle thsse days? Doesn't he still have an indictment with DeLay's name on it?

[eShirl]

4. Sounds like a plan. n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. DeLay can drive Perry right over the cliff. A wonderful twofer.

[spanone]

6. this morning on the mourning joe, tweety called perry a bozo

[Tarc]

7. Delay, like most right-wing Texans, doesn't really know his history

Texas was the first one to request annexation, which was initially refused on the fear of provoking a war with Mexico. They had their quasi-independence for awhile (it never would have been a viable state in the long run, squeezed by two superpowers), and they did try to join the US via treaty, but it was rejected by the Senate. A year or so after that, it was annexed, just like any other territory.

Also, the idea of splitting states is not unique to Texas, and if they ever wanted to, it would have to be approved by Congress.

So if Delay thinks this is some sort of "out" clause for secession, he is displaying his ignorance rather prominently.

[MurrayDelph]

9. and besides that, Delay can't count

yes, if it were allowed to happen, Texas1 through Texas5 would have a total of ten Senators (pui! pui! pui!), but that would only be EIGHT new ones, since they already have two!

[lame54]

8. Let's give 'em back to Mexico...

Then they will be the minority

[groundloop]

10. Why does anyone pay any attention at all to Delay

He's obviously doing anything and everything for free air time, just like Newt. And I can't understand why the media give them what they want.