Pandering Perry

Without a doubt, the most ridiculous thing that was said by a public official yesterday in all of the Tea Party gatherings came from the lips of the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, who pandered way too much in glibly in suggesting that secession might be a possibility if the federal government continues on its present course. Of course, no one believes that this will happen, and the comments have caused Mr. Perry to be appropriately pilloried on the left. Unfortunately, some on the right have defended the inane comments.

21st century Americans are not known for their precision in language, but American conservatives might learn to speak of federalism, which is clearly a constitutional doctrine involving divided sovereignty, instead of states' rights, which has in history included the notion that states have the right to secede from the Union. That states' rights doctrine was questionable to start with and, in any event, was settled by the outcome of the Civil War.

Conservatives are prone to emphasize both localism and adherence to constitutional limits in government. They should not say foolish things while imagining themselves to be defending those notions.