Petition for Texas to secede from US reaches threshold for White House response

An online petition that calls for the State of Texas to withdraw from the U.S. and create its own government on Monday reached the required signature threshold to receive an official response from The White House.

The petition on WhiteHouse.gov asks the Obama administration to "peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government." The petition had surpassed 34,000 signatures as of Monday evening. It was created by a person self-identified only as "Micah H." from Arlington, Texas.


The petition cites the nation's economic woes as an issue and says that the condition of Texas' budget and economy make it "practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union."

Online petitions on WhiteHouse.gov that get sufficient support are reviewed by White House staff and "sent to the appropriate policy experts." To be searchable on WhiteHouse.gov in the first place, petitions currently need to get 150 signatures within 30 days. To get an official response, petitions need 25,000 signatures within 30 days.

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Similar petitions from other states have also been filed including: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Tennessee. However, unlike the petition from Texas, none of these states had reached the 25,000-signature threshold to get an official White House response as of Monday evening.

According to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, a 1866 proclamation signed by then-President Andrew Johnson clearly spelled out that no state had the right to leave the union:

"...It is the manifest determination of the American people that no State, of its own will, has a right or power to go out of or separate itself from, or be separated from the American Union; and that, therefore, each State ought to remain and constitute an integral part of the United States..."

The flurry of petitions are likely just the consequence of voters unhappy with last week's presidential election results. University of Texas at Austin Assistant Professor Jason Casellas told NBC News that's likely the case in Texas, where 57 percent of the state population's vote went for Republican Mitt Romney.

Catherine Frazier, press secretary for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, told NBC News Monday that the governor "believes in the greatness of our Union and nothing should be done to change it."

"But he also shares the frustrations many Americans have with our federal government," Frazier said in a statement. "Now more than ever our country needs strong leadership from states like Texas, that are making tough decisions to live within their means, keep taxes low and provide opportunities to job creators so their citizens can provide for their families and prosper."

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Question: What do you call a beautiful intelligent woman in a Republican Red State?

Answer: A tourist

  • 4 votes
Reply#2049 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:03 AM EST

I don't know about you guys, but I am getting sick and tired of the Federal Government period.

A bunch of Lawyers who've never gone a day eating nothing but ramen noodles because that was all they could afford thinking they know what is best for the public. What a joke.

The Fed has already been taking for themselves a bunch of power that the Constitution gives them no right to take. My personal favorite? Radio and TV. The Federal Government, without the consent of anyone but themselves, decided decades ago that somehow, despite the fact that they were in no way responsible for the creation of either Radio or Television, that they "Owned" the Airwaves, and could therefore tell people what they could and could not broadcast. If anyone 'Owns" the rights to the radio waves being broadcast it is the surviving family of Nikola Tesla, the man who created the thing. But, you know, Free Speech was determined not to apply to things being broadcast, which was the biggest pile of manure ever dumped on the heads of the American people. (Well, that and the "Fact" that the Freedom to pursue Happiness excludes the right to drink alcohol or smoke marijuana, but I'm not going to go there and start a huge fight.)

I have a solution. No one will go for it because it makes too much sense, but I do have a solution.

Take the U.S. Split it in half, with WI, IL,KY,TN and MS being the border. Give everything East of there to the Liberals, everything West of there to the Conservatives. Change the name of the country to the Allied States of North America.

Reduce the Federal Government to two duties, National Defense, and Foreign Policy.

That way, everyone can have the country they want. The Libs can go have their "Give everyone everything" system, and the Cons can have their "Personal Responsibility First" nation.

Everyone would be happy. We could all stop this useless bitching. And maybe we could go back to being the best nation on the planet, rather than the laughing stock we've become.

You have to realize, we are already two nations, trying to exist as one.

Roughly 50% of the people want one way, the other 50% want the exact opposite. ( This is based on the simple fact that every Presidential election since the landslide that was Reagan has been a 50-50 battle.) No matter who wins, half of the people are always going to be unhappy for 4-8 years. Why not make it so that everyone can have what they want?

The only drawback is that the Lib half of the country would "Freebie" itself into bankruptcy within the first ten years, but screw em.

  • 3 votes
Reply#2050 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:07 AM EST

As a liberal who understands the the GOP is rapidly dying, why do I care what GOPers want? They are a shrinking minority.

There will never again be another GOP president. GWB Sh!t in the pool and tainted it for everyone else. He'll go down in history as the last GOPer President.

We're only a few more GOPer funerals away from the death of the GOP. Please do what you can to help.

Here's what I'll do for you. I'll give you morons Texas. You need to get there before we wall it off with a 200 ft tall concrete heavily fortified and maned barrier wall protected by snipers with orders to shoot to kill anything that moves towards it.

We rename your new country.....drum roll please...... TEABAGISTAN!

So long! See ya! Buh Bye! Don't bother to write!

  • 2 votes
#2050.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:13 AM EST

Hypo, the Reagan administration gave the public airways to their rich buddies. They had to stop the Fair Access law which allowed equal time for opposing political views. They claimed it cost their buddies money.

I was there, & actually saw a televised speech by the presidentail candidate for the American Communist Party. It was shocking. Except for the appeal to the religious fundamentalists, the communist platform was identical to the Republican.

You can understand why that law had to be overturned.

  • 2 votes
#2050.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:23 AM EST
Reply

Texas leave the union...?

They might as well partition to join Mexico.

That's how it would end up anyway.

Idiotic suicide.

Then they would probably find a way to blame that on the white liberals also.

I foresee a great migration from Mexico to Texas.

I foresee a great migration from Tesax to the north, west, and east.

Only thing accomplished in the end, is that we lost alot of ground.

Another bad decision by the Reptards.

  • 2 votes
Reply#2051 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:08 AM EST

Don't care. They've been an embarrassment to the U.S. for far too long. Let 'em go.

Where do I sign?

  • 1 vote
#2051.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:10 AM EST

More likely you'll see a mass migration from the U.S. to Texas. I'll be one of them.

  • 3 votes
#2051.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:14 AM EST

I'm with you! Buh bye Texas!

Wall it off with a 200 ft tall concrete heavily fortified and maned barrier wall protected by snipers with orders to shoot to kill anything that moves towards it.

Then take bets on how long it takes Mexico to wipe them out.

  • 1 vote
#2051.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:17 AM EST

Hypo, you are free to leave now, why wait?

  • 1 vote
#2051.4 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:18 AM EST
Reply

Ok, what are you folks that want to go it alone going to do when the President says Nah?

Hate the Government, you are free to leave, pack up, adios amigos, take George, Rove and the Koch Bros, Murray, Limbaugh, Beck, Palin etal with you. No loss, actually a relief.

  • 3 votes
Reply#2052 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:10 AM EST

That's what I keep saying. Google "Juneteenth".

  • 2 votes
#2052.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:19 AM EST
Reply

PLEASE......All u @!$%#s bashing The Great State Texas dont ever come here and and when Osama Bin Bull@!$%#

turns this country into a Socialist wasteland you will see that you should have been more careful in your selection of leadership.This country will end up in a bunch of genetic mutts. By the way Bush is NOT a native Texan just a transplant like most of the population in this country. The USA is no more. It is divided along all lines. America should be ashamed to have a reputation of no unity in anything except the ME factor.

And to all the Latinos that refer to Texas as" takes it "Or Texass, if it was under Mexico's rule it would be a @!$%#hole like the 3rd world country it is. Put your heart in America and Texas or get your ass out.

  • 2 votes
Reply#2053 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:10 AM EST

We're not going back to the 1900's. Get over it.

Change is more difficult for some than others and apparently it's down right impossible for Texas, but history is not on you side.

  • 4 votes
#2053.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:14 AM EST

Actually, History is on Texas's side, or we would all be British citizens.

  • 3 votes
#2053.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:19 AM EST

Hypo, the Texas War of Independence was fought for the freedom to own slaves. Have you ever read a history book? Not that garbage they gave us in grade school, but a real history book?

  • 4 votes
#2053.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:28 AM EST

Musician666 .... he "hypothetically" read a book... he was being ironic. *snark*

  • 1 vote
#2053.4 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:30 AM EST
Reply

The rest of the US wouldn't know what to do if Texas took its oil, refineries and chemical plants and kept them to itself.

  • 1 vote
Reply#2054 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:14 AM EST

Build new ones of course. The technology in those old refineries is, well, let's be charitable & call it "dated".

What's Texas going to do without the tens of billions of dollars going to build the U,S.'s F22 & F35 fighters?

  • 2 votes
#2054.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:17 AM EST

Wait till they have to pay the government for the tax money that built those refineries...

  • 5 votes
#2054.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:22 AM EST

Canada is swimming in oil, and natural gas.

  • 1 vote
#2054.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:29 AM EST

Wait til the U.S. Government is forced to pay the citizens of Texas for 50ish years of Social Security Taxes.

  • 2 votes
#2054.4 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:30 AM EST

Hyp, nah, you leave your on your own, including Medicare, Medicaid , and Social Security, after all you are now an independent country, take care of your own 47%

  • 1 vote
#2054.5 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:41 AM EST

skyparrot-these people would move to a liberal state. They wouldn't stay in Texas if the funding was cut off. BYE BYE!! You people don't get it. If the states that want to secede do, the ones left, will have all the people on the Government dole living in their states. Have fun with that.

    #2054.6 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:07 AM EST
    Reply

    Does anyone know how many illegals, & how much of the drug smuggling comes accross the border from Mexico into Texas? It might be a good idea to have a buffer state between the U.S. & Mexico.

    Where do I sign?

    • 1 vote
    Reply#2055 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:15 AM EST

    If you think ANYTHING, ANYONE does, now or in fifty years, will slow the rate of drug influx into the U.S. you are so out of touch with reality you are probably a politician.

    • 1 vote
    #2055.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:21 AM EST

    Hypo, watch what happens when Colorado & Washington start selling pot legally. A lot of illegal drug dealers are going to starve, & good riddance.

    • 1 vote
    #2055.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:26 AM EST

    They would then be smuggled in from the new Union of Mexas.

    • 1 vote
    #2055.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:30 AM EST

    Mus - In Co and Wa, yes. But those in other states will keep going strong. Those that don't actually move to Wa or Co so they stop getting persecuted over a B.S. law.

    • 1 vote
    #2055.4 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:43 AM EST
    Reply

    Bye bye Texas!

    • 1 vote
    Reply#2056 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:20 AM EST

    Bye bye Texas, hello Teabagistan!

    • 3 votes
    Reply#2057 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:23 AM EST

    Another out of touch clown

    • 2 votes
    Reply#2058 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:25 AM EST

    Hey mus666 what are you gonna do with Florida?

      Reply#2059 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:26 AM EST

      A simple Constitutional amendment will do: "Democracy being a necessary part of a free and prosperous society, Congress shall support democratic principles for all organizations, public and private." That'll end the business of disenfranchising the electorate based on skin color or religion. However, Texas will have to go. They'll never support democracy, & we won't want them any more.

      Where do I sign?

      • 2 votes
      #2059.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:33 AM EST

      The one thing our Founders were most terrified of was Democracy. That's why we live in a Democratic Republic.

      • 3 votes
      #2059.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:50 AM EST
      Reply

      The sheer amount of stupidity in this country is driving me to alcoholism. *Facepalm*

      • 1 vote
      Reply#2060 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:28 AM EST

      For those of you who voted for Obama, you do not have a "sound mind!"

      Obama wasn't even born in America. Or on any American soil.

      he wants to turn this country over to China, and you all don't even know it!

      The more America gets educated, the dumber they get!

      • 1 vote
      Reply#2061 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:29 AM EST

      I'm pretty sure Romney wasn't born in the US.

      Obama was born in Hawaii.

      Any more idiocy you'd like yo spout, or have you people not embarrassed America enough with your ignorance?

      • 2 votes
      #2061.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:32 AM EST

      kaily--you really need to do research!

      • 1 vote
      #2061.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:09 AM EST

      barry soetero went to school as a foreign student and like cassius clay the name change says it all

        #2061.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:37 PM EST
        Reply

        this is exactly what obama wants .... next comes martial law ... gun confiscation , no more elections . dictatorship

        • 2 votes
        Reply#2062 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:30 AM EST

        Teabagistan is calling you. GO!

        • 2 votes
        #2062.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:32 AM EST

        For @!$%#'s sake, please tell me this post was a joke and you're not serious. how @!$%#ing stupid are you going to feel in 4 years when none of that crap occurs?? OMG I can't handle this, I'm twitching. The idiocy and ignorance is just too much for my brain. It hurts. You are so stupid that you literally injured my brain.

        • 1 vote
        #2062.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:34 AM EST

        Actually watchin', before you can confiscate the guns, you first have to collapse the economy, & bankrupt the government. That's something Wall Street is always trying to do. It's that pesky Bill of Rights. Keeps them from enslaving us.

        • 1 vote
        #2062.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:35 AM EST

        Yep, and tens of thousands of dead citizens from the revolution, not to mention the loss of close to half of the military as the two sides ( fight American's or Not) start killing each other under Treason Law, because both sides will believe themselves to be completely correct in their actions. Anyone happen to know off top of their head how many of the current Generals/Admirals are from Texas ( or any of the other states currently talking secession)? How about the Secret Service? The C.I.A.? F.B.I.? A.T.F.? How does that end up playing out?

        I've got to say, the next twelve to twenty four months are going to be INTERESTING.

        • 3 votes
        #2062.4 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:38 AM EST

        It didn't work for Lee and it won't work for Generals from Teabagistan. Its not the state governments its loony private citizens, Wyoming residents have been doing the petition nonsense for years and it still a big resounding No. Do you really think a petition with 25,000 or so names out of millions of residents is going to spark real secession. Limbaugh toxic swamp gas. I don't see Rick Perry leading any charge. I am sure Rove will lead the first wave of.........?

        • 1 vote
        #2062.5 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:49 AM EST

        Wow. You are literally too stupid to insult...

        • 1 vote
        #2062.6 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:50 AM EST

        kaily--are you talking about yourself?Your posts show it.

        • 1 vote
        #2062.7 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:11 AM EST
        Reply

        This article is poorly written. You dont know if the uncle or the grandmother is the instigator in this murder/suicide plot. Was this act due to possibility of losing custody of the children. You have more questions after reading story than you do before reading it. I am confused. The only comment that can be made another tragedy of family members killing their own. Like wild animals in the jungle.

          Reply#2063 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:30 AM EST

          mom hit the wrong button

            #2063.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:40 PM EST
            Reply

            Is this the conservatives idea to act like liberals and boycott everything?

            • 1 vote
            Reply#2064 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:32 AM EST

            They could change thier name to The Confederate Union Of Mexas.

            • 1 vote
            Reply#2065 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:33 AM EST

            Actually, does it really mater what they call it? In a couple of years it will be known as Mexico's newest state.

            • 1 vote
            #2065.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:36 AM EST
            Reply

            Newsvine..

            Get smarter here?

              Reply#2066 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:34 AM EST

              Texas has a population of about 26,000,000 people. Number of people that want to secede isabout 35,000 people. That is about 1/10 of 1 percent. This is an example of an insignificant, but loud minority that think they represent an entire state. These individuals can secede from the United States permanently if they want to. Mexico and Texas are not too far away.

              • 3 votes
              Reply#2067 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:38 AM EST

              You'd be surprised at how many people want a minority rule government. In the U.S., there's an entire political party devoted to turning us over to a small minority of fantastically* rich white men.

              *I use the word according to its original meaning, being like a fanatasy.

              • 1 vote
              #2067.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:48 AM EST

              The of people on the petition is very insignificant and will never be successful at accomplishing their goal of segregation. An idiot will always think they can win a ridiculous battle....just like that character on "King of the Hill", oh yeah, that's staged in Texas.

              • 2 votes
              #2067.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:53 AM EST

              Unfortunately this small amount of people whom know have no chance get a headline on major news organization websites and newspapers.

                #2067.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:11 AM EST
                Reply

                This just shows where this country is heading. This is just the begining keep the hate coming and you will get what you deserve.

                • 1 vote
                Reply#2068 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:39 AM EST

                Sell them to China! But...the Union keeps the IH-35 corridor through Dallas to Austin, San Antonio, then the IH-10 corridor to Houston; we let El Paso and the Big Bend area merge with New Mexico and the South part of the state.

                  Reply#2069 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:40 AM EST

                  Let them have Dallas, and down with the pathetic D-Cowboys, that is not Americas team.

                  • 1 vote
                  #2069.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:48 AM EST
                  Reply

                  Teabagistan, a conservative paradise. No taxes! HUGE military and everyone over the age of 3 is obligated to carry a firearm at all times! LOTS of churches! A SNAKE HANDLERS PARADISE! There will be rattle snakes and Water Moccasins galore! You can dance around with as many snakes as you can hold!

                  No Taxes!

                  Also, great shoot first and ask questions later laws. If you THINK someone is even THINKING about hurting you, SHOOT THEM!

                  No Taxes at all!

                  Yippee! Teabagistan is the bestest idea ever! Yipeeeeee!

                  • 5 votes
                  Reply#2070 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:43 AM EST

                  Owen, again whoo hoo, hahahahaha.

                  • 1 vote
                  #2070.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:03 AM EST
                  Reply

                  Does anyone know why we made Texas a state anyway? We didn't know or care about the oil then. And we need to reduce our dependence on oil now. Petroleum is humanity's most valuable source of lubricants & plastics. Burning it is idiotic. You don't treat addiction by increasing the availability of the addictive substance.

                  Sending Texas on its merry way is a good first step.

                  • 1 vote
                  Reply#2071 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:44 AM EST

                  Okay! so the treatment of people by this country to tyranny, torture, murder, rape, pillaging etc. was in the instance of the Japanese interred during Pearl Harbor COMPENSATED!!!!! Native Americans though also still treated to disparate treatment also to some degree COMPENSATED!!!!!!!

                  The day the USA allows for such asinine COMPENSATION to those who through nothing but SICKNESS OF SMALL MINDS is the day they finally make REPARATIONS to the millions of descendant's that these so called PEOPLE still USE in manners most unbecoming ANY AMERICAN!!!!

                  I know these so called Americans believe that they deserve SPECIAL CONSIDERATION because in their delusional SICKNESS of mind they can stay in America (not their home of origin!!!) & everyone else must be sent to so called land(s) that THEY feel they come from, which is THE HEIGHT OF ARROGANCE & HYPOCRISY!!!!

                  Yet WE are to believe the present cases now before the Supreme Court deserve any answer other than NO!!!! In the UT case they still have disparate treatment & a lack of equitable circumstance (affirmative action decision last made in case brought 2003 & decided!!!) & the new case regarding the Voter's Act of 1965 (that I believe still gets ratified every twenty odd years!!!), which in light of the action of Jerry rigged states (by Congress in 2010) through redistricting to GIVE THEM (THE MENTALLY CHALLENGED SPOKEN OF HERE) an UNFAIR ADVANTAGE IN ELECTION PROCESS!! It is bad enough that OUR CONGRESS CONSIST OF "HARLOTS" of the worst order selling our representation to CROOKS best left in the 1920's - but no - now we through the likes of Rush (Drug addled), Norquist, Morris & other thugs of self promotion (acting like they care about this country) who only care about MONEY, POWER & SELF PROMOTION - along with the LEMMINGS OF PURITY (that they make out of the small minded, uneducated or sick in the soul electorate they stir up) SO SECEDE BY ALL MEANS, BUT BEFORE YOU DO GET OUT YOUR CHECK BOOKS & PAY UP BECAUSE WE THE OTHER TRUE AMERICAS ARE QUITE SICK OF BEING YOUR WHIPPING TOOL!!!! SHAMEFUL BUNCH OF CO-CONUTS!!!!!

                  • 1 vote
                  Reply#2072 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:45 AM EST

                  If you exclude the mentally challenged, there won't be anyone left to vote. Except, of course, for a handful of scientists. They're highly educated, how do you think they'll vote?

                  • 1 vote
                  #2072.1 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:51 AM EST

                  A minimum IQ reuiurement for voting would solve much of the country's problems.

                    #2072.2 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:11 AM EST

                    Not at all Leroy. Intelligent people are easy to brainwash, easier than the stupid, who can be stubborn. Just flatter their intellects, & they'll swallow the hook like a fish. That's why the most brainwashed folks in the U.S. are doctors.

                      #2072.3 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:35 AM EST
                      Reply

                      I'm packing. Father Trey here we come.

                        Reply#2073 - Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:47 AM EST
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