Inland Empire Progressive

Our congressman, Representative Jay Obernolte is a co-conspirator with a front-row seat. While thousands of federal employees are not getting paid, furloughed, threatened with layoffs, or left in limbo, Obernolte’s inaction is deafening. The Trump administration has already begun issuing “ reduction-in-force ” notices to federal employees in agencies such as Treasury, Homeland Security, HHS all during a shutdown when legally the workers should be furloughed, not fired. This is not a mere “oops, budget mistake” it looks like a deliberate attempt to weaponize the shutdown to force Democrats to continue Trump's illegality. That's not going to happen. Obernolte is not some powerless freshman. Yet what has he done? Spoken politely? Issued vague statements? Counted on talking points? None of that suffices when federal workers are losing paychecks, and taxpayer are losing services. By refusing to break ranks, demand accountability, or force a way forward, Obernolte is effectively givi...

Inlanders, pay attention because you’re about to see how conservatives are laying the groundwork to destroy democracy itself with all the swagger of a badly written Pam Bondi villain. If you think conservatives will wait until Election Day to tip the scales, I have some desert land in 29 Palms to sell you. There are news reports that  Dominion Voting Systems  the tech company that became a household name over relentless conspiracies and defamation lawsuits by Fox News has been acquired by Liberty Vote, a firm founded by a former Republican elections director. Let that sink in and soak, the very tech infrastructure of our elections (ballot counting, software, validation) is now being folded into a company helmed by someone who has conservative pedigree. This is a trojan horse in disguise. I don't trust conservatives to play fair when it comes to elections, and this is case in point. Voting systems are no joke. They are the final arbiter between your vote and the official tally....

The Super Bowl halftime show is an American tradition where millions gather to witness the pinnacle of musical artistry and cultural diversity. But leave it to conservatives to ruin the party.  Turning Point USA , the self-proclaimed guardians of American values, have decided that the halftime show is the perfect battleground for their latest culture war. According to their brilliant plan, the halftime show should feature only "All-American" music because nothing says freedom like a state-sponsored playlist from Dear Leader Trump. Forget about the rich tapestry of musical genres that reflect the diverse fabric of American society; apparently, the only acceptable tunes are those that fit neatly into a narrow, nostalgic box of what they deem "patriotic." Turning Point USA is also calling for a ban on any halftime performances that don't align with their vision of American values. That means no hip-hop, no Banda, no Reggaeton, and especially no pop stars pushing bo...

What we’re witnessing now is a full-blown conservative assault on the institutions meant to restrain raw power. The conservative strategy is simple: prosecution of political enemies, stack the courts with activist judges, intimidate rivals, and then begin the imperial rule. The recent case of  James Comey  offers a grim blueprint. Lindsey Halligan, a Trump loyalist who has no trail court experience was handpicked for the U.S. Attorney’s post to push the indictment forward despite justice department alarm bells.  That is how you subvert the rule of law. In a functioning legal system, you don’t indict someone unless the evidence can survive the harshest judicial tests. In this case, the evidence looks so flimsy even prosecutors privately felt the case would unravel. Yet Trump overrides them. That’s not justice; it's a sham trial. You don’t have to fight over whether Halligan is competent or not the real point is that she was chosen for loyalty, not objectivity. This is the ...

The notion that the current government  shutdown  is driven by fiscal wrangling or partisanship is erroneous on its face. The real reason for this government shutdown is that our congressional representative, Jay Obernolte, and his fellow Republicans is so that the Epstein files stay buried. Furloughing government workers, stalling services, and sowing chaos is all cover to keep the Epstein files from seeing the light of day. Democracy be damned, so they can protect powerful pedophiles.  The official narrative is that the shutdown is dragging on because Republican can't work on a bi-partisan deal with the Democrats. But the unofficial narrative is because House leaders continue blocking a discharge petition that would force a vote to release the Epstein files.  So, are we, the voters of the 23rd District naïve for noticing that a conveniently timed congressional absence happens to stall that vote? The timing is too perfect to be coincidence. Let’s call it what it is:...

Welcome to the greatest show on earth! The conservative circus of granting soapboxes to  fascists  and conspiracy theorists. Behold their theatrical pretense to erect scaffolding for jailing the opposition when the public says, “No, thanks, we don’t like that agenda.” In the “antifa roundtable” hosted by the White House, all the witnesses were self-described conservative influencers or partisan social-media stars, not independent fact-based journalists. This was just a pre-staged photo-op with talking heads. These figures speak with the confident cadence of victims, wounded by leftwing mobs a narrative cooked to sound plausible, packaged for cable news. But often what they offer is instigated confrontations, infiltrated protests, selectively edit video, provoked responses, and then present themselves as sheep among wolves.  This manufactured testimony by performing outrage, filming it, and then monetizing the resulting evidence. That’s not journalism, it’s performance art...

When it comes to economic literacy, Rep. Jay Obernolte is auditioning for the role of Sloth from Goonies. He champions tariffs and refusal to admit they hurt consumers, is now showing up not just in obscure economic charts, but in the sticker price of your next  Xbox , PlayStation, or Nintendo system. Obernolte and his fellow tariff enthusiasts like to pretend that import duties are magically absorbed by foreign exporters. In his public musings, Obernolte claims that tariffs are paid only by foreign countries, not by domestic consumers. That would be a fascinating spell, if it existed in real economics. Spoiler Alert: it doesn’t. In reality, when the U.S. imposes heavy tariffs on electronics components or finished goods, importers and manufacturers absorb higher costs and then pass them directly to the end user. In other words, you pay. The narrative that tariffs are free money or pure leverage against foreign companies is just political soap opera, not serious policy. Just this ye...

Columbus Day the annual celebration where conservatives engage in revisionist histrionics to celebrate the villain of the story. It's a day when historical revisionism reaches its peak, and the inconvenient truths about Christopher Columbus are conveniently swept under the rug. Currently, 30 states and three U.S. territories recognize Columbus Day in some form and only 20 states and grant state workers a paid day off for the holiday. Yet, conservatives continue to champion this day, ignoring the fact that Columbus's voyages led to the colonization and decimation of Indigenous populations across the Americas. But why let pesky details like genocide and cultural erasure get in the way of a good celebration? After all, Columbus was Italian American, and what better way to honor Italian heritage than by celebrating a man who paved the way for centuries of oppression? States need to take a more enlightened approach like New Mexico that have replaced their paid Columbus Day holidays...

This shutdown theater is not a football match where Democrats get to sit back and wait for the opposing team to throw a pick six. It’s a grueling slugfest of raw power, public perception, and who blinks first. And as the standoff drags on, the option to sit this one out or play it safe is fast turning into a coward’s compromise. The  hallway  showdown between House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and GOP Rep. Mike Lawler demonstrates why resolve is needed in this shutdown. Lawler ambles up and tries to casually ask why Democrats won’t just sign onto ending the government shutdown. Jeffries scoffs at the notion and retorts: “Did you get permission from your boss?” This is the fight that was sorely missing from the first shutdown debacle back in March. Republicans only understand the language of power, and it isn’t begging or wagging a finger—it’s cutthroat persuasion. Democratic messaging needs to highlight what’s at stake, call out Republican obstruction when it happens, and o...

Another school. Another locked-down campus. Another pair of students arrested for walking into  Mesa Ridge High School  with a handgun. School shootings are becoming so common that it almost standard practice.  This is another blatant warning that our system is broken. However, it’s business as usual for Rep. Jay Obernolte, who strongly supports the Second Amendment while voting against even the most modest reforms. Let’s go through the Obernolte’s track record. Because it matters which lawmakers refuse to act when students bring real guns into classrooms.  Yes, you’ll hear this preferred dodge: “We need more mental health resources.” As if that magically prevents a kid from grabbing a firearm. If it were solely a mental health issue, other democracies with robust mental health infrastructure wouldn’t have zero-tolerance school shootings. They do not. Jay Obernolte claims to support common sense reforms to our justice system. Yet he’s opposed to almost all gun-contro...