Two online petitions at the White House website seek the authority for South Carolina to secede from the United States — a move also attempted by secessionists in 30 other states.
Petitioners can ask the White House anything. In order to get a response from the administration, they'll need 25,000 people to sign on to the petition within a month. The site was launched by the Obama administration in September 2011.
Getting 25,000 signatures is not an easy task, but it's made easier when there's alcohol involved.
One recent petition that found success came from the mystery of the White House Honey Brown Ale. President Barack Obama has frequently been seen sharing a beer with war heroes or visiting dignitaries and news of a new White House specialty inspired enough support for a response from White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass.
The administration's We The People forum allows any citizen to create a petition using your email as your signature. The latest efforts include the secessionists troubled by the president's re-election, but also measures to recognize sign language as a language or to refuse foreign aid to Uganda.
Once a petition reaches 25,000, it's forwarded on to the responsible agency for a writte response that is delivered to the emails of all the petitioners, and posted on the White House website.
The beer recipe is a lighthearted example.
Many of the 82 petitions that have qualified for a response are more serious. You'll see requests for Wall Street reform, Post Office solvency and expanded Green Card access for foreign students in high-tech fields.
It's also a way for petitioners to get the facts on controversial issues. One petition called for an end to the military using monkeys for chemical testing. The Deputy Chief of Army Public Affairs noted in his response that the practice ended as of September 2011.
While the secessionist stories will likely awaken conservative interest in the site as an outlet for their frustrations, know that it is bipartisan.
The administration defended Rush Limbaugh from a recent petition that sought to ban the talk radio entertainer from American Forces Network, which provides programming for the military radio.