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The stampede to secede: What does Gov. Perry think now?

If at first you don’t secede…
Texas Gov. Rick Perry  (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry

If at first you don’t secede…

On the Obama administration's "We the People" website, Americans can file petitions on any subject. And if a petition racks up at least 25,000 signatures, the White House says, it will review the petition and officially respond. In the week since President Obama's re-election, citizens from more than 30 states have filed petitions to secede from the Union.

Texas, not surprisingly, is leading the way. As of Tuesday afternoon, over 70,000 signatures were on a petition asking the White House to grant Texas permission to secede and form its own government.

If the idea of Texas being at the center of a secession controversy sounds familiar, it’s because back in 2009, Texas Governor Rick Perry had this to say: “When we came into the nation in 1845, we were a republic, we were a stand-alone nation. And one of the deals was, we can leave anytime we want. So we’re kind of thinking about that again.”

Governor Perry has weighed in on this latest round of calls for secession. Check out the Hardball Sideshow to find out if Perry is striking a different tune on the topic this time around.