In advance of yesterday’s teabag-a-rama, Governor Rick Perry made a successful ploy for a little national attention.
WAKE UP CALL: TEXAS GOV. BACK RESOLUTION AFFIRMING SOVEREIGNTY
Tue Apr 14 2009 08:44:54 ETAUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry joined state Rep. Brandon Creighton and sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 50 in support of states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.”
Perry continued: “Millions of Texans are tired of Washington, DC trying to come down here to tell us how to run Texas.”
Except for all that stimulus money that Perry cordially accepted to “promote economic growth and create jobs” (PDF) that we’re now mostly using to protect the Rainy Day Fund and to pay for our property tax cuts this biennium. We like that stuff. Oh, and we’ve only just noticed things like the expansion of the federal government and the deficit and stuff like that – we didn’t pay any attention to it before.
Actually, let me just quote The Texas Blue here:
“Unfortunately, the protections it guarantees have melted away over the course of the years…”
Governor Rick Perry, five days ago: Governor Perry Calls FEMA To Assist With Wildfires
Governor Rick Perry, last month: Governor Perry Calls For 1,000 Troops To Be Sent To Border
Governor Rick Perry, five months ago: Governor Perry Requests 18 Month Extension Of Federal Aid For Ike Debris Removal
It looks to me like the only thing that has melted away over the course of the years is any sense of decency or shame that Republicans like Governor Perry may have had at some point in their lives.
Makes you wonder who he’ll call on for help when we secede. In any event, HCR50, which is one step up legislatively from things like birthday greetings, isn’t actual legislation but a bunch of “Whereas”es followed by a couple of “Be it resolved”s – you know, like a petition – that usually gets filed and forgotten. You’d think there’d be more pressing business to attend to at this point of the session, but then you’re not Rick Perry. All I can say is that if his goal was to distract the national media from Betty Brown, or (God help us all) to draw attention to himself as a potential Republican nominee for President in 2012, he succeeded.
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