BEAUMONT, Texas – While much of America’s mainstream news media continues to scoff at the notion of Texas independence, journalists from elsewhere around the globe are beginning to recognize that the Texas Nationalist Movement is gaining momentum in its quest to put the issue of Texas secession before the voters of the state.

TNM representatives have been deluged of late by requests for media interviews, particularly from journalists from overseas. TNM President Daniel Miller has been interviewed by Iranian television and a request from British TV is in the wings, while stories about the movement have also been featured in Agence France-Presse, the French version of the AP, and other agencies.

“I think what this signals is that our message, because of its consistency, is being taken seriously,” said Miller. “Our only agenda is Texas independence, we’re all-inclusive, and we’ve done the research to back up our contention that Texas could stand on its own. We’re the only group that has done that, and because of that we are earning legitimacy.”

TNM Media Coordinator Dave Mundy said the number of requests he’s received for interviews, both from U.S. media outlets and those from abroad, has roughly tripled in recent weeks.

“I think quite often, the contact starts because they’re hunting for a ‘novelty’ story,” Mundy said, “because of the rise of the ‘Tea Party’ movement, thinking that perhaps we’re playing off them. But they quickly come to realize that the Texas Nationalist Movement pre-dated the Tea Parties by almost two decades, and that we’ve done our homework. We’re not the wild-eyed right-wing nut jobs that so many in the mainstream media try to paint us to be.”

Miller admitted the movement, which began in the mid-1990s, has grown “exponentially” in recent months because of the actions of Congress, but that many of the movement’s new members have had concerns for years.

“Many of the people who are joining the movement, they’re telling me that they have been concerned for years, especially when (former President George W.) Bush was in office,” Miller said. “His concentration of federal power scared them.

“These people are educated. They’re very aware that it’s Congress, not the President, which is doing the real damage to the Constitution. And they realize that Congress no longer listens to the people. It’s not about Barack Obama, it’s about the federal government violating its contract with the states.”

And while many of the mainstream news media outlets keep trying to link the movement to Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s statements on state sovereignty and possible secession, Miller said the TNM is adamant that Perry is merely posturing to make himself seem more “conservative” heading into a tough re-election campaign.

“We tried to present the Governor with a petition which had more than a million signatures on it calling on him to enforce state sovereignty back on Aug. 29,” Miller said. “We gave him the chance to take up the banner. He claimed ‘other commitments’ that day.

“When his constituents scheduled a meeting to address him with their grievances, he answered a phone call from someone else. I think that speaks volumes about his willingness to listen to the voices of the people of Texas.”

For information about meetings of the Texas Nationalist Movement in your area, check out regional map at www.texasnationalist.com.