Posts Made By: Rod Kaufman

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Trump's assertion that the US has "total control" over the Strait is total bullshit: 
 
"The U.N. International Maritime Organization paused its operation to escort ships through ‌the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after a vessel reported an attack, reigniting fears over a preliminary deal to end the Iran war."

"The cargo ship said it was hit close to Oman by a projectile, British navy agency UKMTO said, hours after Tehran warned vessels against taking routes that it had not approved."

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/oil-back-pre-war-levels-hormuz-traffic-rebounds-us-tries-reassure-gulf-allies-2026-06-25/

In other words, Iran controls the strait and can shut it down whenever it wants to.

"Trump says Iran violated ceasefire with drone strike on ship in Strait of Hormuz"
(Ya think?!)

"Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi issued a statement on Friday emphasizing Iran’s control of the strait, saying safety cannot be guaranteed for ships that transit the waterway without consultation with Tehran."

“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes, or decision-making outside of Iran’s considerations as the coastal state, cannot be guaranteed,” he posted on the social platform X."

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5942666-strait-hormuz-iran-trump-ceasefire/

"President Trump is notching significant wins with the Supreme Court, demonstrating just how consequential it was that he was able to appoint three justices during his first term."

"The decisions this week are just the latest sign that the conservative majority he helped build continues to play a key role in advancing his second-term agenda."

"In ordinary speech, no one would say that a person ‘arrives in’ a place — for example, a house, a city, or a country — before the person enters that place,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the six-member conservative majority."

"Sotomayor argued that under the majority’s interpretation, the MS St. Louis, a boat that carried many Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany, would again be turned away, and she warned that people fleeing persecution and violence would be more vulnerable to “dangerous conditions”

“The consequences of today’s decision are predictable,” she read from her dissent. “More people will die."


https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5941994-donald-trump-supreme-court-victories-immigration-second-term/

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

"President Trump is notching significant wins with the Supreme Court, demonstrating just how consequential it was that he was able to appoint three justices during his first term."

"The decisions this week are just the latest sign that the conservative majority he helped build continues to play a key role in advancing his second-term agenda."

"In ordinary speech, no one would say that a person ‘arrives in’ a place — for example, a house, a city, or a country — before the person enters that place,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the six-member conservative majority."

"Sotomayor argued that under the majority’s interpretation, the MS St. Louis, a boat that carried many Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany, would again be turned away, and she warned that people fleeing persecution and violence would be more vulnerable to “dangerous conditions”

“The consequences of today’s decision are predictable,” she read from her dissent. “More people will die."


https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5941994-donald-trump-supreme-court-victories-immigration-second-term/

Alito reportedly looked like his head was about to explode after Sotomayer delivered her dissent before the court but, tsk tsk, according to the court:

"Justice Alito was notified in advance by Justice Sotomayor's chambers that she would be reading a dissent from the bench. It was a misunderstanding on Justice Alito's part."

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/26/nx-s1-5872721/supreme-court-alito-sotomayor

That's not the only "misunderstanding" Sammy has in his head...

"The Great American State Fair isn't so great after all."

"Opening weekend for The Great American State Fair, put on by Donald Trump's event organization Freedom 250, was more or less a flop. While much of that was due to sparse crowds, those who did attend the fair had their fair share of criticisms."


https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-humiliated-visitors-expose-empty-154657029.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMFoeBnuUU_KTmiyWsNqU-jdz0AkXJn94efE2_6wIxnAZjICn1J69InEftTowlSXaSXGNm99VWT8XksG1efLF55q8Gx3u5F1hZLmXFoM0K4RcVqIrpzcqVpUC7gV9_1SrmbrwpdD13k9xee9GVl9tJcsvTofsZhOm1TqoH5J8pBw

Originally Posted by James Brown

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/25-365_4hdj.pdf

I agree with the majority in this matter. Another in a fairly substantial subset of opinions curbing Trump‘s executive overreach.  Jim

Well, not according to Alito and Clarence:

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5947513-birthright-citizenship-clarence-thomas-dissent/

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5947944-alito-dissent-birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-ruling/

That's some pretty wacked thinking, don't ya think?...

Unfortunately, I do have to agree with Maher on this:   "Democrats could lose midterms because of ‘really crazy’ New York candidates"

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5947912-bill-maher-democratic-socialists-new-york/

I'll add more to the mix: In one of of the most disastrous decisions coming from a conservative court ever, that being the Citizens United decision that allowed unlimited dark money to flow freely in the political process as a so called expression of "freedom of speech", the cons of the court just compounded the blunder by extending the practice to allow unlimited spending from political parties:   https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/party-spending-federal-elections-supreme-court/3910993/

I'm sure that's what the framers of the constitution had in mind when they were thinking "Freedom of Speech", don't ya think?...

Originally Posted by James Brown

The key issue for these crazies is US support for Israel. Maybe I should be more blunt… The key issue for these crazies is Israel’s right to exist at all.

I’ve known you online for what, about 20 years? The situation in the United States, where the Republicans are vocally supporting Israel and the Democrats are turning their back must be driving you nuts.   

I’ll be curious to see how the Colorado primaries turn out tonight.  (I love our system, where the votes can be tabulated on election day (today) but that is a rant for another time!) There are a couple of races on the Democratic side where Democratic Socialists are opposing conventional establishment liberals. I doubt that the “crazy” has legs beyond New York City, or maybe Seattle/Portland, but who knows?

Yeah you're right about it and I hope the socialist seeds don't find their way to Colorado tonight...

Originally Posted by James Brown

Melat Kiros is obviously bright and highly educated.   But her main claim to fame is this too-long open letter condemning Israel.   She sugar coats her points with “anti-Semitism is bad” platitudes, but if you have the time to digest this whole thing the bottom line is full-throated justification of Palestinian violence and condemnation of any Israeli response.   She’s probably going to be the next congresswoman representing Denver.  ☹️

https://medium.com/@melatakiros/dear-us-law-firms-77ec63e838af

I know, I read up about her. 
My take on the whole thing:

1. IRAN WAR: I agree with Maher that Trump's timing was awful in that he waited until 100,000 or so Iranians died while being murdered by the Iranian regime instead of upholding his promise of "help is on the way." Had he coordinated the combined American-Israeli  attacks with the uprising, the outcome may have very well been different.

America won't tolerate casualties like it did in the second world war and the greatest generation is long gone and it's not coming back. Israel has taken 1000 casualties taking out most of Hamas and a major chunk out of Hezbollah but America wouldn't deal with sustaining 100 casualties taking Kharg Island. 
Hamas , Hezbollah and Iran are winning the propaganda war with its genocide bullshit which the progressives believe to be real and that's a major reason of why we are where we are with these candidates.

2. If these progressive candidates prevail, the GOP will beat the Democratic party over the head with them come November and, as I've already stated, I agree again with Maher that it'll cost the Democrats the midterm elections...

Originally Posted by Jim Moscheck

I live about eight miles from the new bridge. About six years of construction along I 75 on the way downtown and it's also always backed up around the Ambassador Bridge due to truck traffic. When the new bridge finally opens the Marouns monopoly goes away and I predict much lower traffic due to the new bridge connecting with the 401. The Ambassador Bridge empties out onto surface roads and it takes a while to get to the 401.

Corruption running amuck and right out in the open with the Marouns and Trump yet no one seems to care. If Obama or Biden made 2 billion dollars while in office, mostly from crypto currency, and lost a war with Iran MAGA and their minions would be screaming their lungs out about it.

"Corruption running amuck and right out in the open with the Marouns and Trump yet no one seems to care. If Obama or Biden made 2 billion dollars while in office, mostly from crypto currency, and lost a war with Iran MAGA and their minions would be screaming their lungs out about it."

That's because Mr & Mrs Six Pack of America get their "news" from Faux and Sinclair media and none of it is being reported. 

When Biden was in office, Hannity repeated the "Biden crime family" name more than 10,000 times and none of it was true. And even if there was a morsel of truth to Hunter Biden using his father's name to get a job, compared to what Trump's sons, son in law and the Lutnick sons are doing, Hunter would be getting the ethics award of the century...

Originally Posted by James Lacey

An interesting thing about Hunter is that since his dad left office, he has re-emerged on social media, using it to blast his critics with a combination of wit, sarcasm, brutal honesty, and self-deprecating humor. It's worth checking out, and it's funny how easily he discredits and dismantles past controversies and scandals surrounding the Biden family. He also uses his platform to talk candidly about addiction and recovery, and advocates for others who have an addiction.

It's so true what you are saying regarding Trump's corruption. He has the most corrupt administration in American history by far, and yet there doesn't seem to be any accountability for it at all.

In what may be of additional interest to you in Texas, James, is a poll I saw reported on the news the other day that only about 30% or so of Texans are even aware of the corruption reported in connection to Paxton. And, that's apparently even in the face of all of the attack ads that Cornyn ran against him in the primary--which have since been expunged by the GOP--and the latest overall polling show a tie between Paxton & Talarico:    https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/30/texas-senate-poll-talarico-paxton-00981524

Note that Greg Abbott is substantially ahead in his race and he's about as bad as it gets. Trump, for his part, is going to hold a GOP convention in the state and that's obviously a ploy to prop up Paxton...