Jeez, at least Rick Perry just wanted his state to secede from the union.

When the Texas governor floated that suggestion during the recent tea party/anti-tax/Obama angst rallies, he was roundly panned by non-Republican types. Upon further review, however, Perry’s supposed blunder looks rather lame compared to what other prominent Republican politicians have done to themselves lately.

Just in recent weeks, a Nevada senator and a South Carolina governor, (both Republicans and would-be presidential candidates), admitted to adultery that went beyond the act itself. The lurid admissions of Sen. John Ensign and Gov. Mark Sanford  delved into the messy world of how it all intersected with politics, and if public funds were used in any way for their personal adventures.

In the case of both GOP politicans, their private failures became cable television talkathons, leading to rather spectacular crash-and-burn jobs, especially in the case of Sanford, who went missing for days before disclosing the rather unbelievable episode of traveling to Argentina to meet with his special friend. No sweeping judgements here, for as George W. Bush once said to a heckler while running for president in 2000: “We’re all sinners, buddy.”

Indeed, but for politicans there are different kinds of sins. For a GOP presidential candidate wanna-be, cheating on your spouse makes you toast. Forget about it. But if all you’ve done wrong is suggest that seceding from the United States of America may be a good idea while Barack Obama is president, hey, that’s gold among the more right-tilting Republican faithful.

Advocating the dissolution of the United States of America, even mildy, might sound a tad radical. It is, but you see, America isn’t really America right now with Barack Obama being the  president. Secessionist talk is cool, cheating on your spouse when you formerly played up family values, not so much.

Loopy liberals went nuts in their disdain for George W. when he was president. That’s true. But other than actor Alec Baldwin, or one of his brothers, (can’t recall exactly who), threatening to move to Europe if W was re-elected in 2004, I can’t recall a lefty endorsing the notion of dissolving the nation while a president from the other party was in office.

In his Texas drawl, which Perry plays up at GOP rallies, the governor said his state is a unique place, which could decide to leave the union if it so wishes under a supposed 1845 provision when Texas joined the United States. At a tea party rally in Austin, Perry expressed sympathy for those frustrated with the federal government on taxes, spending, and unfunded mandates. If the federal goverment doesn’t listen to those concerns, who knows what might happen, Perry said.

The governor was playing up to a certain mythology about Texas, but the truth is that when this state joined the union there was a provision that it could be divided into five seperate states. It is not empowered to leave the union, a question that historians say was settled by the Civil War. No matter, for 48 percent of Texas Republicans in a recent poll say their state is better off as an independent nation rather than being part of the United States. I kid you not, 48 percent of Texas Republicans want out of the red-white-and blue. Love it or leave it, buddy.

No wonder, then, that a new statewide poll shows Perry surging ahead of Kay Bailey Hutchison,  by double digits in the upcoming Texas GOP gubernatorial race. Hutchison, a current U.S. senator, is a solid conservative, but she’s not an advocate of going back to Civil War-era thinking, so thusly, she now trails Perry among Texas Republicans.

Just think, if Perry routs Kay Bailey and then rolls over whatever hapless candidate the Dems put up for governor, he could be a major player in the 2012 presidential election now that so many other national GOP figures are falling to the weaknesses of the flesh. If it weren’t for the fact that Perry is an intellectual lightweight and the last Texas governor who became president left office with an approval rating of 25 percent, Gov. Rick could have been a contender.

If he can stay away from Argentina, he might still be one. Like secession, who knows what might happen?

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