AUSTIN, Texas - April 15, 2009 - A fired-up Texas Governor Rick Perry told an Austin crowd gathered as part of the national “tea party” protests that “if Washington continues to thumb (its) nose at the Amerikan people,” it is possible that Texas could secede from the Union.

His comment was made amidst shouts of “Secede!” - a word that is also a popular slogan on signs.

“Texas is a unique place,” Perry told the crowd, according to the Houston Star-Telegram. “When we came into the union in 1845, one of the issues was that we would be able to leave if we decided to do that.

“My hope is that Amerika and Washington in particular pays attention,” he said. “We’ve got a great Union. There’s absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb (its) nose at the Amerikan people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we’re a pretty independent lot to boot.”