So, Is Trumpcare DEAD Dead? Or Just, Like, Dead?

So, what the hell is going on with healthcare? Is Trumpcare dead forever? Will there be a Son of Skinny Bill? OMG, is it behind us right NOW?

Unlikely, but not impossible. Let's Wonksplore!!!

Across the country on Friday morning, parents cried tears of relief that their kids would not lose their healthcare and die . Inside the Senate chamber, Mitch McConnell cried tears of shame over his failure to notch a win by destroying America's healthcare. And Donald Trump led the country in the only way he knows how.

Yeah, he tweeted some stupid shit about the filibuster rule which had zero to do with healthcare. Then he forced Mick Mulvaney to go on television and order those senators to get back here and destroy healthcare RIGHT NOW .

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said on CNN's "State of the Union" that it is "officially the White House position" that members stay in Washington until they've passed something.

"What you're seeing there is the President simply reflecting the mood of the people," Mulvaney said. "You promised folks you would do this for seven years."

Which is just precious! Trump turned the White House into a kennel of yapping dogs pissing on the carpet, and he's still shouting at Congress to clean up its act.

Meanwhile Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins are at home basking in their constituents' gratitude.

And John McCain is getting treatment for cancer -- as is Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. Which makes Trump's threat to cancel Congress's health insurance if they don't pass Trumpcare even more despicable .

Say, remember that time Donald Trump got mad and canceled health insurance for his nephew with cerebral palsy ? Ain't he something!

But Republican senators appear to have had enough humiliation for now, thankyouverymuch . Per Politico ,

"Until somebody shows us a way to get that elusive 50th vote, I think it's over,” said Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the third-ranking Republican. “Maybe lightning will strike and something will come together but I'm not holding my breath." [...]

Privately, Republican aides said there is essentially no chance McConnell will take another shot at repealing Obamacare soon. On Monday, there was discussion among Senate staffers of a “hard pivot to tax reform,” one Senate aide said.

Unlike the president, these legislators can do math. Also, they have probably been operating under the assumption that their magical reconciliation power to defeat the filibuster expires on September 30 with the end of the 2017 fiscal year. ( Vox has an article out this morning suggesting that it might drag on indefinitely, which is a new one on us. We're in uncharted waters here, since no one has ever failed at governing so spectacularly.)

Remember we splained that Republicans were trying to kill Obamacare as part of the 2017 budget reconciliation process ? And they were hoping to "find" a bunch of savings by cutting Medicaid and then plow it into a huge tax cut under the budget reconciliation for 2018? In theory they could do healthcare and tax cuts in one giant reconciliation amendment to the 2018 budget. But in fact, these guys have no intention of jeopardizing their tax giveaway by mixing it up with the toxic sludge of their healthcare plan. Hence the "hard pivot."

Yes, technically Obamacare repeal remains on the docket, despite Reddit rumors to the contrary.

And yes, Senators Graham, Cassidy and Heller sat down with Donald Trump this weekend to discuss their awesome new plan to turn Medicaid into a bunch of tiny block grants and free Americans from the bondage of health insurance. Let's all pause for a moment to imagine the senators trying to have a substantive policy discussion with a guy who doesn't know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid . Do we feel sorry for these assholes? NO WE DO NOT.

Andy Slavitt breaks down their godawful rehash of rejected ideas here on Twitter. Republicans are craven enough to try to pass something this destructive, but luckily they're on vacation until after Labor Day. At which point they will be busy beating the shit out of each other over the debt ceiling . So, in all likelihood they've run out the clock on Obamacare repeal this year. Yay! Good job, everyone!

BUT...

This afternoon, Donald Trump is probably going to announce a plan to sabotage the healthcare exchanges. Which is horrible and depressing, and Your Wonkette will be here to break it down and add some dick jokes for you.

For now, let's just be happy and proud that liberals took to the streets and Obamacare lives to fight another day. We had the power all along -- we just had to learn it for ourselves. 

[ CNN / Politico / Politico , again / Andy Slavitt , Twitter / Vox ]

We have always had the power to keep Wonkette ad free ! We just had to learn it for ourselves!