TODAY'S COMMENTARY BY THOMAS PAYNE

Dear Reader,

There is some misunderstanding in the federal government. Democrats and Republicans are doing their best to undercut President Donald J Trump at nearly every turn. He promised to drain the swamp. The swamp is LOADED with alligators. He certainly hurts himself and provides his opponents ammunition with his sometimes outrageous tweets. That said, he is on the right path. When establishment Republicans, Democrats and Media are all against you, you can be sure you're inflicting damage on the status quo. This is what is needed.

Have courage. It took years for the swamp to get so murky. The president won't be able to fix it overnight. Like losing weight, it didn't come on all at once, and it goes off an ounce at a time. Being a Republicrat he will not make many ideologists and party right-or-wrong people happy. Thank goodness. Trump may yet not be a great policy president, but he is the president the United States needs right now. He's fighting the power, baby.

Many are disappointed that he didn't get Obamacare repealed and replaced last week. This was actually great news. The fact is, the new legislation was worse that what was in place. We don't need that. I'm not sure we even need repeal, but rather repair. It is a fool who throws out the baby with the bath water.

The Republican's ran for 6 years on repeal and replace, and yet their plan was going to be more expensive and cover less than the ACA with higher deductibles. The deductibles are simply another way of raising the cost of the insurance policy to the purchaser. The Republicans in Congress should feel extremely embarrassed. 6 years and no plan. A rush at the end to put SOMETHING, ANYTHING in front of the public. In my mind, the reason they didn't work on it in earnest over the sat 6 years, is because they didn't believe they'd have control of the both Legislative bodies AND the Executive office. They didn't prepare. Also to my mind, this was used to raise money as the Democrats did on the other side of the equation.

This is where the president has the opportunity to effect real change in the swamp. If he'd stop ammunition providing tweets, and use his bully pulpit, which he has shown he can do well, we'd all benefit. Call your representatives and senators. Tell them you expect better. Tell them you want them to live with the laws they pass. Flood their phone banks. Call everyday. Show them how serious you are about REAL change.

Soon, I'll have my suggestion for a simple national health care plan that isn't single-payer, which is the death knell of decent medical care, and that will cover more people which was the alleged goal of Obama. In reality, he and the Democrats wanted to make the only fix a single-payer system. Don't let this happen. Raise your voice.

"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value."

Yours in the Constitution,
Thomas Paine