Regular readers here will know that for my money the best thing about the Texas governor is that he isn't W. Molly Ivins used to say the best thing about Rick Perry is his hair. Well, Governor Goodhair took a stand last night, while in France (proof he's not W. He voluntarily went somewhere overseas!) that actually had me nodding my head and agreeing with him -- and his stand is on the FLDS raid in Eldorado, and what he said was,

"I still think that the state of Texas has an obligation to young women who are forced into marriage and underage sex – to protect them. That's my bottom line on this," Mr. Perry said during a visit to France.

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He also offered to take personal responsibility if the raid had "crossed a line." Texas is out about $7 million, and if you don't think that had anything to do with the rulings of the appeals court and the state supremes, you don't know Texas politics.

And maybe Rick Perry's tired enough of business as usual to defy the conventional wisdom in Texas politics. The rest of what he said is at the link, but this bit bears repeating.

Mr. Perry, speaking in La Baule, France, where he gave the keynote address at a European business conference, was asked if he will fire or discipline any state officials because of the way the case was handled.

"I think that with the knowledge that the CPS had at the time they acted, that they acted with the best interest of those children," he said.

Mr. Perry said he hopes CPS and the sect "work together" to protect any sect children who may be in jeopardy.

"If responsibility needs to be taken for [court edicts] saying that we stepped across some legal line, I'll certainly take that responsibility," Mr. Perry said. "I am substantially less interested in these fine legal lines that we're discussing than I am about these children's welfare; that's where my focus is. That's where CPS' focus is."

Mr. Perry said he wants Texas to enforce its laws, which generally forbid minors under 17 from engaging in sex, especially with partners who are four or more years older.

Of course, earlier this week, an FLDS "spokesman" announced a "clarification" of church policy on underage marriage. That clarification's wording is an implicit admission that the church has no real problem with practicing child rape as a sacrament; if the "clarification" is honored, CPS' raid will have achieved its purpose.

Possible criminal charges for child abuse, for bigamy and welfare fraud will still be on the table, as they should be.

No state in the US recognizes "plural marriage" as a legitimate marital arrangement. As my stand on gay marriage is that whatever willing adults do among themselves is their business, so with plural marriage -- let them find a way to make it legal, and let it be a practice of informed and not just consenting but willing adults, and that which others call evil concerning it will melt away. The DOMA ought to be invoked against Muslim and Mormon fundamentalist polygamy in the same way it is invoked against homosexual matrimony, and states with DOMAs of their own ought to be actively working to stop polygamous 'marriages', particularly those in which the "spiritual marriage" produces poverty-stricken children; the FLDS and similar breakaway Mormon sects do this on purpose, so that they may "bleed the beast" via AFDC and Medicaid. That ought to be stopped; it's quintessential welfare fraud.

But for many of the pederasts and "patriarchs" and "prophets," and their favored followers, the appeal of being able to trade the women and children according to their whim will melt away as well, should the FLDS actuall honor this "clarification," -- and maybe the church will go the way of the Shakers.

The state's out $7 million over the foster care and other costs related to the April raid.

Small price to pay if it breaks up this criminal cult.