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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 58m

Though that's not quite like the British practice where, for example, Winston Churchill would drop into some random available constituency in Scotland he'd never even been to before.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

Yeah. People try to make hay out of it when it happens, but voters generally don't care that much for exactly that reason. Most voters don't even know which district they live in.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

That is, if British elections had been more genuinely representative, there probably would have been a parliamentary majority that wouldn't have pushed things to the breaking point.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

Yes, though in a roundabout way and not because the Americans particularly cared about parliamentary reform as such. Rather, it boosted the more hardline Tories (Lord North) and hurt the Whigs, even though their more conciliatory and later anti-war stance probably had more popular support in the UK.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

On the state legislative level, where living in the district is generally required, I've seen some very silly fights and shenanigans over whether somebody *really* lives in that cheap apartment and not the nice house with their family on the other side of town.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

I think it's more of a federalism thing. Single-member districts weren't strictly required by federal law until much later, but the original Constitution did require members to be residents of their respective states. And from there you get other countries either more influenced by the US or the UK.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

Even in the United States, you still don't have to live in the district to be elected to Congress, only in the same state.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

It was originally pretty democratic for the 13th century!

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

They could and did pick anyone. That's still the case in the UK, it's common for people to be elected for constituencies they don't live in. Some MPs bounce around multiple constituencies over the course of their careers, though it's become less common.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

Because voting rights were on burgage tenancy, not actual residency. So there were designated lots that had voting rights attached to them, and the owner handed those out to a few cronies. Also it wasn't a secret ballot.

You could vote in multiple constituencies that way, and some people did.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

The others generally had at least a few real people living there, tenants of the owner who thus controlled the election. Old Sarum was notable for being completely uninhabited.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

It was the most notorious of the rotten boroughs.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten_...

Rotten and pocket boroughs - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1h

Despite having been uninhabited for centuries, Old Sarum continued to elect two members of Parliament until 1832.

In the last years, the spectacle of an Old Sarum election drew a small crowd to observe the ritual presentation of the two candidates and the hollow call for any further nominations. Stooks Smith quotes a contemporary description dating from the 1802 general election:

This election for the borough of Old Sarum was held in a temporary booth erected in a cornfield, under a tree which marked the former boundary of the old town, not a vestige of which has been standing in the memory of man, the several burgages which give the right of voting, being now without a dwelling for a human being. Mr Dean, the bailiff of the borough having read the precept for the election, and caused proclamation thereof, read the bribery act, and gone through all the legal ceremonies, the Rev. Dr Skinner rose and nominated Nicholas Vansittart, and Henry Alexander, Esq., from a thorough conviction that their public conduct would be such as would give satisfaction and do honour to their constituents. The other electors acquiescing in this nomination and no other candidates offering, the proclamation was thrice made for any gentleman disposed to do so, to come forward, the bailiff declared the above two gentlemen to be duly elected. There were five electors present at this election, (beside the bailiff of the borough who lives at Wimborne) viz, the Rev. Dr. Skinner, of the Close; the Rev. Mr. Burrough, of Abbot's Ann; William Dyke, Esq., of Syrencot; Mr. Massey and Mr. Brunsdon, both occupiers of land within the limits of the borough. The above account is thus particularly given to rectify several prevalent mistakes relative to this celebrated borough, and to show that the election is conducted in a manner every way consonant to the law of the land and the constitution of Parliament.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 2h

George Santos is not in prison "for lying about his past during a campaign," because that is not a crime. He is in prison for stealing money, committing fraud, and a litany of similar related offenses.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7h

Trump posts that Sen. Blumenthal “should be allowed to speak no longer”

Sanctimonious Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the biggest “joke” in the United States Senate, is at it again! “Dick” lied until the midpoint of his political career, convincing everyone, in particular the Fake News Media, that he was a great “War Hero” who lived on the precipice of death in the jungles of Vietnam. He would talk about his life in the military in almost every speech, in particular the death defying dangers he faced in his many years “fight for freedom” while in Vietnam. He stated that “the battles were violent and long, but there was no going back” - And then it happened, Blumenthal was found out to be a FRAUD. The soldiers in his so-called “platoon” came forward and said that they had no idea who this guy was. He was revealed, broke down and admitted, tears flowing from his eyes, that he LIED, a Whopper, one that lasted 20 year. This guy shouldn’t even be in the U.S. Senate. It should be investigated, and Justice should be sought. Right now there is a Congressman sitting in prison for lying about his past during a campaign. Well, those lies were nothing compared to those of Richard “Da Nang Dick” Blumenthal, perhaps the greatest phony in the history of the United States Senate. He should be allowed to speak no longer!

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Reposted by Andy Craig

Plenary Popehat Power @kenwhite.bsky.social · 6h

These people are evil. Never stop saying so. Don’t be intimidated into shutting up.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 8h

Here’s video of the incident

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 3h

In that regard Faubus went farther than Wallace ever did, he'd actually used the Guard under state command to obstruct desegregation orders. That's why the regular Army was brought in, but was not in Alabama in 1963.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 4h

Yes, it was all very performative.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 4h

Correct, and he did that because Faubus had himself used the Arkansas National Guard to block the integration of L.R. Central High. So Eisenhower invoked the Insurrection Act and sent in the regular Army, and also federalized the entire Arkansas National Guard to remove them from Faubus's control.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 4h

That they used Alabama Guard for this wasn't incidental, it was an essential point to demonstrate this wasn't Alabama vs. the United States, because Alabamans are part of the United States. This was being done on the authority of their own government, because that's what the federal government is.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 4h

This was part of the calculated point of what the Kennedy administration was doing. Wallace wasn't dragged away by FBI agents or US marshals, as they easily could have. He was confronted, politely but unambiguously, by a loyal citizen-soldier of Alabama. The symbolism was deliberate and it worked.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 4h

This guy in uniform? He wasn't from Illinois or Oregon, nor was he in the regular Army. He was Gen. Henry Graham of the Alabama Army National Guard. He saluted Wallace, who was still *his* state governor, and then told him to step aside "under the orders of the President of the United States."

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 4h

Among the more obvious differences, this was about using the Alabama National Guard to enforce federal law *in Alabama*, where the state government was defying court orders.

Note that even in that much more extreme context, Kennedy used the Alabama National Guard, not some other state's.

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 4h

Trump just posted what looks like an old DOJ memo about President Kennedy’s use of the National Guard in Alabama to desegregate schools in 1963.

It’s a gross comparison, given the fact that Trump is basically George Wallace and he wants to use the Guard to invade cities, not advance civil rights.

Trump: U.S. Code. Those provisions authorize the President, when faced with such unlawful obstructions against the authority of the United States as existed in Alabama, to "call into Federal service such of the militia of any State, and use such of the armed forces, as he considers necessary" (10
U.S.C. § 332) and to use
"the militia or the armed forces,
or both, or
• other means" (10 U.S.C. $ 333). The
militia of the United States includes the national guard, meaning the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard of the several states. 10 U.S.C. § 311 and $ 101 (9), (10), (12) .
In furtherance of the President's order the Secretary of Defense immediately called into active military service all of the units and members of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard of the State of Alabama to serve in the active military service of the United States for an indefinite period and until relieved by appropriate orders.
This call was transmitted by the Secretary of the Army, acting by direction of, and under delegation of authority from, the Secretary of Defense.
Copies of the Department
of the Army message (No. D.A. 340638, June 11, 1963) were furnished immediately to the Governor of Alabama and to the commanding officers of the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard of the State of Alabama.
It is apparent that the Alabama National Guard was properly called into federal service pursuant to 10 U.S.C.
§5 332-4, and in accordance with the procedure provided in those sections. Since the call to federal service did not invoke the authority of 10 U.S.C. $ 3500, referred to by Mr. Bowen, the procedure prescribed by that section was
not
used.
I trust that the foregoing information will be of
assistance to you.
Sincerely,
¡enera.
299 ReTruths 819 Likes
10/7/25,

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Reposted by Andy Craig

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 6h

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 8h

Here’s video of the incident

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Reposted by Andy Craig

💞Sabrina💞 @sabrinarina.bsky.social · 13h

Oregon National Guard Adjutant General, General Gronewold says if they are federalized, that he will advise the Title 10 commander to utilize National Guard Troops to PROTECT protesters at ICE facilities. This is the right answer.

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 7h

Maryland was a complicated mess and there was a lot of political maneuvering, but it wasn't the state government as such attacking federal (including federalized Northern state militia) forces, state and local authorities even helped suppress the riot.

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