He's kidding, right? Texas isn't negotiable, right?

It's late. I was skimming this article by Harvey C. Mansfield, William R. Kenan Professor of Government at Harvard (The Case for the Strong Executive, OpinionJournal, May 2, 2007), trying to decide whether to save a link for when I wasn't so pressed for time or so tired, and part of the last paragraph jumped out at me (emphasis mine):

As to the contention that a strong executive prompts a policy of imperialism, I would admit the possibility, and I promise to think carefully and prayerfully about returning Texas to Mexico. In its best moments, America wants to be a model for the world, but no more. In its less good moments, America becomes disgusted with the rest of the world for its failure to imitate our example and follow our advice. I believe that America is more likely to err with isolationism than with imperialism, and that if America is an empire, it is the first empire that always wants an exit strategy. I believe too that the difficulties of the war in Iraq arise from having wished to leave too much to the Iraqis, thus from a sense of inhibition rather than imperial ambition.

All right. He has my attention. I'm not sure exactly what he's talking about, or whether he's trying to be serious or sarcastic or facetious or 'clever' or what, but he does have my attention.

I was having a hard slog of it in earlier parts of the article, but I guess I'd better give it another go tomorrow. Maybe I can figure out the point he's trying to make.

But for the record, I don't think Texas should be treated like a bargaining chip instead of one of the 50 states solidly belonging to this nation.