Greetings! Here are the topics for today’s common-sense commentary: 

• Sheehy & Khamenei
• Political Independents
• U.S. Senator Mark Kelly
• One More Thing

SHEEHY & KHAMENEI:

U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) is getting some attention with THIS POST on X showing him lighting a cigarette with a burning photo of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. 

Sheehy is supposedly showing his solidarity with the Iranian people. 

In Iran, women are burning the photo of the supreme leader and smoking a cigarette to show they have overcome their fear of the regime, a kind of protest symbol. (Source)

Sheehy’s photo was published on the website Iran International HERE. 

POLITICAL INDEPENDENTS: 

A new Gallup poll shows that a record-high 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025, surpassing the 43% measured in 2014, 2023, and 2024. Meanwhile, equal shares of U.S. adults — 27% each — identified as either Democrats or Republicans.

I am proud to be an Independent. I vote for the person, not the party. The Republican and Democratic parties need people like me, so be nice. 

Gallup says the 2025 findings are based on interviews with more than 13,000 U.S. adults throughout the year. In each survey, Gallup asks U.S. adults whether they identify politically as a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent.

The Republican and Democratic parties are circling the drain. It is time for state legislatures to make it easier for Independents to get on the ballot. 

You can read more about this Gallup poll by clicking HERE. 

U.S. SENATOR MARK KELLY:

Reuters is reporting that U.S. Senator Mark Kelly sued U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, saying Pentagon proceedings to demote the Arizona Democrat from his retired Navy captain rank violated Kelly’s free speech rights because he urged troops to reject unlawful orders.

In a statement, Kelly said:

“Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable. His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.” 

Kelly closed his statement with:

“So today, I filed a lawsuit against the Secretary of Defense because there are few things as important as standing up for the rights of the very Americans who fought to defend our freedoms.” 

Kelly is a patriot. He is the type of person we need serving in the U.S. Senate. I stand with him against Pete Hegseth.  

ONE MORE THING:

I feel like a lot of my problems would be solved if I had a dragon. 

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