Gail Collins' conversation over tea

Just something really quick that caught my eye in my Sunday read of the NY Times (online of course). As a native Texan, I've been amazed at the Rick Perry governorship.

Gail Collins in the NY Times has a wonderful (and funny) column on the Texans at the anti-tax tea party calling for secession. She makes two very good points:

1. How can one be patriotic and call for secession?
   "Have you noticed how places that pride themselves on being superpatriotic seem to have the most people who want to abandon the country entirely and set up shop on their own?"

2. Taxes have been lowered under Obama.
   "The big mystery here is why the tax-protest crowds were behaving as if the world was coming to an end when all Obama's infant presidency has done is lower taxes for a vast majoryity of the public."