Under the Starry Flag / NY State Politics

I was basically 3/3 in my book selection when I went to the new mid-Manhattan library, Under the Starry Flag: How a Band of Irish Americans Joined the Fenian Revolt and Sparked a crisis over Citizenship providing an interesting and down to earth account. 

History, including constitutional history, is filled with details. An important issue, which is still debated in various respects, is the matter of citizenship. A basic debate there was over race, blacks in particular not seen as fit to be citizens.  But, there was a wider concern there, including the matter of immigrants.  The "Know-Nothing" Party in the 1850s shows this.

This book touches upon that issue while addressing a lot lesser known conflict.  Fenians, Irish nationalists, got mixed here.  The center of the action involves a naturalized Irish immigrant, John Warren.  Along with others, including natural born American citizens, he planned to join an Irish rebellion shortly after the American Civil War.  

It didn't go well though the aftermath included an extended battle on citizenship, including the right to renounce your citizenship and become a citizen of a new country.   This was seen in the times of the Declaration of Independence as a natural right.  But, it was actually quite controversial, with other nations (and some in the U.S. too) rejecting the very idea.  

If you were born a citizen (or more so, a subject) of the United Kingdom, darn if you remained one.  This was a major problem in the days before the War of 1812, causing problems when the British "impressed" people the U.S. deemed American citizens.  And, even if the concept should be accepted, there was a debate over how long it should take. 

There are a lot of issues here as well as the overall central event of a failed invasion, the legal and diplomatic wranglings afterward, and so on.  The book, which includes some good photos, covers this overall well.  It also does so in a little over two hundred pages, which is about how long I like books these days, since I read so much online as well. 

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Talking politics, after mostly thinking the now not so new New York governor is low drama vis-a-vis Cuomo, Gov. Hochul now has an issue.  I don't think it is enough for me not to vote for her in the primary -- overall, I still am glad she is there, and my relief is balanced over my general support for a more liberal platform.  

OTOH, maybe my usual move to vote left in the primary should hold here.  I don't think she is really at risk in the general and the extra push that might be warranted there is not really present.  This thing along with various odds and ends, including involving funding a stadium for the Bills, probably warrants a message vote.

The lieutenant governor, a black pol who she chose largely to get some downstate support [her strength and origins is upstate] was indicted for campaign violations.  He resigned, but as of now, he is still on the ballot.  

There are a few creative ways to deal with that [e.g., his bail conditions might make it impossible for him to be in Albany, but he can stay out of state with family ... that might make him illegible].  One apparently clean way is just to pass a law to do so.  This is in a vacuum a decent idea in this scenario -- why should someone who drops out for legal reasons and is a sort of "dead" candidate, not have this option?  

But, yeah, Republicans are calling foul.  Heck with them.  They had their issues with campaign violators and the like.  This can help them in the future too.  Meanwhile, Ana Maria Archilla seems to be the logical choice for me to choose in the primary, various liberal voices I support or respect generally, pointing her way.