AUSTIN—Texas Nationalist Movement President Daniel Miller on Saturday challenged Gov. Rick Perry to prove that his rhetoric is “more than just pillow talk” by picking up the banner of state sovereignty during the Sovereignty or Secession rally at the State Capitol.

A crowd of Texas Nationalist Movement and other groups estimated by organizers to be in the vicinity of 1,500-2,000 people gathered on the south side of the Capitol Saturday to demand that Perry and state legislators either stand up for state sovereignty by nullifying federal legislation and regulation which intrudes on states’ rights, or start the process of secession.

Miller called on his group’s members to embark on a “national day of action” on Sept. 2, flooding Perry’s office with phone calls demanding he call a Special Session of the Legislature to take up the sovereignty issue, as has been done in Tennessee, Montana and other states.

Perry generated a mass of media attention with a public statement that Texas has a right to secede following a Tea Party at the Capitol back on April 15. Many of his political opponents claim the Governor’s statement was merely political posturing

“I challenge (Perry) to show us that that was not just pillow talk,” Miller told Saturday’s rally. “I want you to show us that you’re listening now.”

Waving a large “Come and Take It” banner—one of the flags used in the Texas Revolution of 1836—Miller said that if Perry and the Legislature “don’t take up this banner now, we will.”

Perry was originally scheduled to appear at the rally to receive a state-sovereignty petition generated by Gerry Donaldson and drawaline.org, but ducked out claiming “prior commitments.” His absence generated sharp criticism from several speakers during the event, including two Republican candidates who will be opposing him in the 2010 primaries.

Debra Medina told the rally that “we are giving notice today that we will not stand for the nationalization of our business, we will not stand for fascism in this country.”
She said the attendance at the rally bespoke growing concern among Texans that their rights are being eroded.
“We are watching you, Washington. We are watching you, Austin,” she said. “We will not stand for tyranny in our state. We are showing you today our weapons against tyranny.”

Medina spoke strongly in favor of sovereignty, but expressed her concern that secession might start “a bloody war.”

Fellow GOP candidate Larry Kilgore said that re-establishing state sovereignty would be only a stopgap measure.

“Sovereignty ain’t the answer,” he said. “Secession is the answer. We have to have the Unietd States get out of our lives.”

Pointing at the U.S. and Texas flags flying over the capitol, Kilgore told the rally: “I hate that that flag is flying above the Texas flag. I hate that government. That government is killing our children.”
Also on hand Saturday was Tracy Metcalf Miller, who has gained national acclaim over a video of her question to Congressman Sheila Jackson Lee being ignored when Lee answered a cell phone call.

Miller said the incident with Lee “demonstrates the arrogance” of the federal government toward mainstream Americans.

“This government, it scares the people,” Miller said. “It is arrogant. Could you imagine the abuses of the Fourth Amendment if national health-care passes?”

She said people are waking up to the arrogance in government.

“Congress, can you hear us now?” she cried.

Donaldson, the organizer of the event, said that so far his group’s petition had been signed and presented to county government in 222 of Texas’ 254 counties, and noted that 37 other states had similar drives underway to demand state governments act.

Donaldson also took a shot at Perry.

“Politicians like to go with the winds,” he said. “We cannot allow that any more. We have to call the Governor to call for a special session and vote for secession now. We have no other choice.”