The Texas Observer

Perhaps the most notable thing about the “Sovereignty or Secession” rally at the state Capitol today was the absence of any remotely mainstream speakers. That little problem in presentation did not escape the event’s organizers from the Texas Nationalist Movement. In fact, several speakers bitterly complained that neither Gov. Rick Perry nor a single one of the 70-plus supporters of Rep. Brandon Creighton’s HCR 50, a resolution asserting Texas’ “sovereignty” from the federal government, made an appearance.

Back in April, Perry flirted with the idea of secession when he told reporters after a Tax Day tea party event: “There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve [the Union]. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that.”

Even for a governor who frequently plays to the more extreme elements in the Texas GOP, it was a gobsmackingly ‘out there’ remark. But it certainly did wonders for the secession crowd—long a totally marginal and ridiculed group with about as much chance of capturing the mainstream imagination as the LaRouche cult.

The turnout for the rally wasn’t huge—200 would be a generous estimate—but it was enough to show how much Perry has helped galvanize and embolden the right wing “hate America” fringe. After all, the governor of the second most populous state in the nation had suggested that secession was a possible solution to federal over-reach. Republican political leaders have helped bring “death panels” and the Obama birth certificate nonsense into acceptable discourse; Perry’s contribution has been bringing secession into the mix.

Daniel Miller (pictured below, at top), the leader of the Texas Nationalist Movement and the only speaker who had the slightest ability to make secession sound like anything other than just complete lunacy, recounted the April 15 tea party rally in Austin and what it meant to the secessionist movement.

“When [Perry] was giving a speech and the crowd began to shout what? – Secede! Secede! Secede! – that’s what they chanted. So they asked him afterward, What do you think? He said, Well we reserve that right; if things get so bad we reserve the right to leave. And I gotta tell you it’s the first solid thing he’s done in his administration that I can agree with in many, many years.”

So the secession leaders were a little peeved that they couldn’t get their good friends in the Texas GOP to show up today. After all, Fox News is paying attention: Miller was a guest on the Glenn Beck Program on June 23, discussing the possibility of Texas seceding.

Though Perry and the “pro-sovereignty” legislators didn’t show for the rally, Miller said, “I want them to hear this loud and clear: It is time for them to take up that banner and it’s time for them to take the lead and if they do not, if they do not pick up that banner and carry it high, then we will.” Upon which Miller dashed out into the crowd, took hold of a “Come and Take It” flag, and continued his exhortations. Along with other speakers, he called for a special session of the Legislature—next week—to take up the sovereignty-or-secession debate in earnest.

The organizers are trying to set up a time to deliver a petition to Perry demanding that Texas officials either “immediately move for the restoration of the complete and unadulterated Sovereignty of Texas, explicitly adhering to the 10th Amendment wording of the U.S. Constitution,” or “move immediately for complete Secession from the United States of America.”

Instead of Perry or Creighton, the protesters had Larry Kilgore, a “Christian activist” and candidate for governor who has endorsed executions for homosexuals; Debra Medina, a Ron Paul Republican and a slightly-less long-shot candidate for governor; and Melissa Pehle-Hill, yet another fringe candidate and a member of a self-appointed “citizens grand jury” investigating Barack Hussein Obama, aka Barry Soetoro.

The audience of about 200 people included tattoed bikers wearing Confederate memorabilia, Alex Jones conspiracy theorists carrying those Obama-as-Joker signs, lots of older guys in Texas flag shirts and blue jeans, Ron Paul activists, and others.

Kilgore, dressed in starched blue jeans and a cowboy hat, drew some murmurs of disapproval when he launched into a rant against the U.S.

“I hate that flag up there,” Kilgore said pointing to the American flag flying over the Capitol. “I hate the United States government. … They’re an evil, corrupt government. They need to go. Sovereignty is not good enough. Secession is what we need!”

“We hate the United States!,” he said later in the speech. (And they say leftists are America-bashers!)

Medina chipped in: “We are aware that stepping off into secession may in fact be a bloody war. We are aware that the tree of freedom is occasionally watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots.”

For his part, Kilgore assured the crowd that violence wouldn’t be necessary to secede. Instead, the U.S. would just split up like the USSR did in 1991.

After the rally, lingering secessionists clashed with pro-health reformers holding another rally at the Capitol. Kilgore was seen yelling at some pro-health care reform advocates to “Go back to the U.S. where you belong.”

Secession, the speakers argued, was more important than ever because of the Obama administration. Health care reform, the auto industry and Wall Street bailouts, cap-and-trade legislation, etc, etc – all this “change” is driving people already predisposed to mistrust a Democratic administration to new heights of apoplectic rage.

“If either one of them passes [cap-and-trade or health care reform], we have no option but to go for secession,” said Hill. “Texas is not comprised of people willing to allow Barack Obama and his czars to tax us into bankruptcy while Michelle Obama and her 26 aides live it up on our dime.”

Like any movement, the secessionists have their own reading of history and the law. There was much talk about the true and correct reading of the Constitution, implied powers, Thomas Jefferson’s writings on tyranny and government. One guy even started reading from Black’s Law Dictionary. But the references to the Confederacy were the most telling.

At one point, Miller drew the crowd’s attention to the statue of Lady Liberty on top of the Capitol.

“When they raised her to the top of this Capitol they wanted to face her south so she would forever have her back turned to that nation to the north that knew not liberty,” he told the almost entirely white crowd.

And they wonder why Perry and friends didn’t show up. Even for our governor, these people are toxic.

In case you haven’t visited our homepage in a while… We’ve rolled out four new staff-written blogs with fresh content (almost) every day.

• At “Purple Texas,” Observer Editor Bob Moser is reporting on, poking fun at and scrutinizing Texas’ 2010 elections from a progressive-populist point of view.

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• Dave Mann, the Observer’s associate editor, casts a critical eye on the conventional wisdom at “The Contrarian.” Dave is ferreting out hidden stories, bogus facts and generally being a lovable curmudgeon.

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In what was perhaps the most expected announcement in the history of Texas politics, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has officially declared that she is challenging Gov. Rick Perry in the 2010 election. The senator began the first leg of a five-day announcement tour on Monday morning in the Gulf Coast town of La Marque, where she went to high school, and ended later that afternoon at the University of Texas in Austin, where we met up with her.

While she did finally commit to the race, Hutchison remained vague as to her plans to vacate her senate seat, only promising to stay on long enough to fight the “massive government takeover of our health-care system.” And she beat that conservative drum steadily throughout her announcement.

After reflecting on her family’s place in Texas history (her great-great-grandfather Charles S. Taylor signed Texas’ Declaration of Independence), she repeated the conservative mantra: “spend less, borrow less and tax less.” This last point segued nicely into her critique of Perry’s “job-killing” new business tax, which she subtly hinted at being the cause Texas’ high job losses this year. She then pointed at the 30,000 new state employees put on the payroll in the last decade as evidence of Perry’s penchant for Big Government. Harsh criticisms of the governor’s failed Trans-Texas Corridor — or “the biggest land grab in the history of Texas” as Hutchison labeled it — and solemn mourning for the Republican Party’s loss of power (read: relevance) soon followed.

Hutchison’s backers ate it up, though Austin clearly is not her bread-and-butter given the scant turnout. Volunteers worked to reshuffle the crowd before the cameras clicked on, in order, they said, to “make it look like there’s a lot of people here.”

What the attendees lacked in number, they made up for in loyalty and enthusiasm. The pantsuits and “Kay” stickers seemed more like battle regalia than business casual — though that might have been because of the shoulder pads.

Serious questions linger about whether Hutchison can go toe-to-toe with Perry. Hutchison’s soundbite-ready condemnations of the governor were delivered with the cadence of a teacher reading to schoolchildren, with nowhere near the charisma we’re used to seeing from Gov. Goodhair. Whatever the results, watching the two trumpet their conservative credentials till they’re blue in the face will make for months of priceless political theater.

Progressive Texans’ hopes to have a dog in next year’s gubernatorial hunt were dimmed on Friday when Kirk Watson announced that he’ll forego the race and run for re-election to the state Senate.

On his Watson Wire, the former Austin mayor displayed his political acumen by explaining his decision without really explaining it. “First of all, I really like serving in the Senate and representing the citizens of Travis County,” he wrote. The other consideration, Watson said, was—repeat after me—wanting to spend more time with his family, particularly his younger son, who’s just entering high school.

In reality, of course, Watson would have been leading a semi-functional Democratic state party into battle against the huge money and superior organization that’ll be behind the Republican nominee, whether it’s Gov. Rick Perry or Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Watson, a tall, charismatic fellow who can “talk Texan” with the best of them, wasseen by many as the only Democrat capable of putting up a fight. But Watson, who’s in his early 50s, can afford to wait another cycle for Texas’ blue tide to rise a few more feet.

Watson’s decision leaves former state Rep. and U.S. Ambassador Tom Schieffer and humorist Kinky Friedman as the only Democratic candidates more than a dozen Texas could name. It could make it more likely that Ronnie Earle, the former Travis district attorney whom Watson once worked for, will jump into the race, as he’s been hinting for months.

The least-surprising reaction to Watson’s announcement came from an undoubtedly relieved Schieffer. According to the Houston Chronicle, he “welcomed Watson’s announcement” and said that “men and women of his character and capability are needed in the state Senate.”

Lloyd Doggett held another “townhall” meeting this Saturday, this time outside CommUnityCare, a non-profit health care clinic that serves a low-income, largely minority clientiele.

In a sign that Democrats and universal health care advocates are perhaps figuring out how to counter right-wing tactics, the event was spirited but civil and the reformers took control of the event. It looked little like the mob scene at the Randall’s last Saturday.

At the invitation of the clinic, both Doggett and Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who has suggested that the Obama plans might lead to a “single-payer, Washington-run system,” made an appearance. Cornyn left after the short press event, driving away in a SUV as protesters in the Doggett camp booed him. Outside the clinic, about 200 people stuck around for the townhall, a mix of local Democrats, progressive activists, “tea bag” types, Ron Paul libertarians, and some fans of Alex Jones, the Austin talk radio host and conspiracy theorist. Fans of reform outnumbered opponents about two-to-one.

“After what happened last Saturday, I figured Lloyd needed some help,” said Kent Johnson, who carried a sign reading “Insurance Costs Doubled Under Bush/The Right Did Nothing.” Of the protesters trying a repeat of the supermarket uprising, he said, “They tried but they were outnumbered.” Doggett supporters fanned out in front of the speaker’s podium, loudly cheering the congressman and others speaking in favor of health care reform. When the antis tried to drown Doggett out with cries of “Socialism!” or “Just Say No!,” self-appointed enforcers would push back with forceful “shushes.” One man carried a sign that simply said: “You Can Disagree Without Being Rude or Disruptive.”

George True, 35, used a bullhorn to tease the tea party people, a tactic he said he learned as an activist in Washington, D.C.

“Everyone’s scared of public speaking so you mock them,” he explained.

After stepping to the podium, Doggett called for a “civil discussion” and that’s mostly what he got.

“If the only thing coming out of this is the fight” - the squabbling and accusations - “that will be a defeat for health care,” Doggett said. “I hope you go away recognizing [a health care reform bill] is in your self-interest.”

The format of the townhall helped to defuse the tension. Each side took turns asking Doggett questions over a loudspeaker. (P.A. systems, as all good activists know, are magical things.)

A Travis County Republican precinct chair asked about the $1.6 trillion price-tag affixed to a version of the legislation by the Congressional Budget Office. Another woman said - like many at these events - that she’s “just scared.”

The health reform advocates focused on bringing the debate back to earth. One man spoke of running through three insurance policies for his sick wife in three years, all the while watching the premiums soar 67 percent. Even the militia types in the back, waving a “Come and Take It” flag, found that hard to jeer.

An older nurse described seeing patients falling through the cracks. “Everyone here needs health care so we can all be healthy,” she said. One man asked the congressman how best to repel the rumors about “ObamaCare,” such as the notion that the government will require euthanasia of senior citizens. “There are many people in this country who have died because they don’t have health insurance,” Doggett said. Of the rumors: “It is absolute nonsense.”

Single-payer advocates—a group that has dogged lawmakers at public events for years but received scant attention from the media—made their mark too. Doggett said he was open to single-payer, but that Obama had taken that option off the table at the onset of the health care debate.

At the end Doggett seemed pleased. “I think we’ve had a reasonable dialogue this morning,” he said. And he walked to his car with only his aides in tow.