WASHINGTON — Retired Del Mar College professor Herb Arbuckle's thoughts turned to a little known provision relating to the Lone Star State after he read about an online petition with nearly 119,000 signers calling for Texas to secede "peacefully" from the Union.

To be clear, Arbuckle, who taught math and history, pointed out Texas can't legally secede, and he wasn't singing the praises of those who signed the petition on WhiteHouse.gov in what political observers believe is a sign of protest at President Obama's re-election.

"We did fight a bloody Civil War, which proved no one has the right to secede," Arbuckle, 68, said in a telephone message. "If these idiots with their petition don't understand that, then they are indeed fools."...