Senator Bill Cassidy went on Jimmy Kimmel's show back in May after Kimmel offered an emotional plea to lawmakers to make sure kids like his own son, who was born with a congenital heart defect, would be protected under the Republican repeal-and-replace plan for Obamacare. Cassidy himself made up "the Jimmy Kimmel test" and agreed to make sure any plan passed it before he'd vote for it. Fast forward to September, and Cassidy has cosponsored a bill that flagrantly fails the test. Cassidy seems to have embraced the thoroughly Trumpian strategy of simply acting like something you did or said never happened.

This has not pleased Kimmel, who took to his own stage last night to berate Cassidy for his shameless hypocrisy:

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Kimmel described The Old Cassidy's demands for a healthcare bill thusly:

Coverage for all No discrimination based on preexisting conditions Lower premiums for middle-class families No lifetime caps

The New Cassidy, however, just wrote a bill with Lindsey Graham that does none of those things. Back in May, Cassidy agreed that the monstrosities creeping through the Republican House and Senate were too cruel. He then promptly turned around and crafted a bill that may well be crueler. It's hard to know for sure because Republicans appear poised to try to force the bill through before it can be legitimately debated in the Senate, and before its effects can be scored by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

But the most astounding thing is that Cassidy thinks he can do this. The Louisiana senator constructed an entire publicity tour around creating a more humane Republican health plan. He went on every TV show that would have him, trumpeting specific demands that would make that a reality. And now he is behaving as if none of that ever happened, even though we all saw him. It was on TV. It's almost as if he is learning a thing or two from our fearless leader: If President Deals can claim 1.5 million people came to his increasingly expensive inauguration, a measly Republican senator can get away with this. The era of post-truth politics can get you The Bowling Green Massacre and The River of Blood, but it can also get you a shamefully bad healthcare plan.

If you would like to let your senators know you oppose Cassidy's new brainchild, you can reach them at: (202) 224-3121

Jack Holmes Politics Editor Jack Holmes is the Politics Editor at Esquire, where he writes daily and edits the Politics Blog with Charles P Pierce.

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