This past week the Texas Republicans held their state convention, and i'm sure it won't come as a surprise, but the Republican party here in Texas is full of crazy people.
Leading the pack of loons is Rick "let's secede from the union" Perry, but there are certainly a lot of other "bat-shit crazies" in other important positions in the Texas Republican Party.
The best evidence for this is the radical party platform they just passed. It includes: Pass an immigration law like Arizona's and make immigration violations a trespassing crime; Limit citizenship by birth to those born to a U.S. citizen “with no exceptions;” End bilingual education after the third year of school; And make all non-citizens ineligible for state or federal college financial assistance.
It's one thing to read about how Rick Perry's Republicans in Texas want to basically one-up Arizona, but it's quite another to actually watch their craziness. Check out this video (and pay close attention to the great suggestion, which is given with a 100% straight face, to possibly use "lasers or electric wires" to keep out illegal immigrants).
Rick Perry's Texas Republicans Support Radical Anti-Hispanic Laws
The real problem with these crazy right wing anti-immigration people in Texas isn't their concern for illegal immigration. Look, i'm rational and understand that it's a problem and there are some large financial costs associated with it. The PROBLEM is the way these Republicans go about trying to solve this. Their solution always goes 10 steps too far, and it gets vindictive tot he point where they are creating whole NEW problems due to their irrationality.
And what does Rick Perry do about their unhinged proposals? Does he push back and say that they should be more realistic, that they shouldn't include this stuff in his party platform? No he doesn't. Because the truth is that Perry actually supports this crazy shit, but he just would rather have his party make these arguments so he can continue to "appeal" to Hispanics.
He lets these people drive his public policies and is basically winks and nods while his party moves forward to one-up Arizona.
In the next legislative session, Rick Perry is planning to sit there as Texas passes some of the most extreme immigration policies in the nation (unless he loses in November).
Just watch. It's going to happen. Crazy Texas Republicans > Crazy Arizona Republicans.