WASHINGTON—Desperation and futility walk hand-in-hand around this city. Around noon, word began to leak out that the House of Representatives was close to cobbling together a "compromise" on a new healthcare bill that had a better-than-even chance of getting a floor vote. As to the nature of the "compromise," the whole thing apparently has been constructed in order to get 20-odd votes from the House's Freedom Caucus, the wingiest wingnuts in elected office. As you can imagine, the "compromise" makes the previous dead fish even deader. Against considerable odds, the House is putting together a bill that makes healthcare even worse for even more people.

Of course, in the interim, out in the country, the Affordable Care Act never has been more popular. Republican legislators are being run out of their own local town halls because of this issue. If a response consisting of, "We're going to give more of what has you spitting at us now," makes sense to you, start filling out those nomination papers. The House Republican caucus wants you.

The latest "compromise" allows states to opt out of what is called the community rating provision, which at the moment forbids insurers from jacking up rates on people with pre-existing conditions. (Let us pause here to recall that the prohibition against doing so is the most popular element of the ACA and it's not even close.) Hang on, now. Here comes the "compromise" part. If a state gets the waiver, then it must participate in a federal high-risk pool. (Ed. Note: High-risk pools do not work.) The deal also would bring back the Essential Health Benefits, a part of the ACA that was eliminated during the negotiations of the recent dead fish.

But, as HuffPo points out, there is a loophole in this provision through which you could sail the Vinson attack group—assuming, of course, that you know where it is.

In exchange for that conservative concession, the amendment would reinstate the Essential Health Benefits that were already taken out of the bill ― though, again, states could waive those provisions as well if they were able to show that doing so would lower premiums, increase the number of people insured, or "advance another benefit to the public interest in the state."

Gee, I wonder what, say, Scott Walker or Rick Scott will make of that.

In short, in order to pass a bill that failed because it was too harsh and people hated it, the House is proposing a bill that is even harsher and that more people will hate even more. But, once again, to treat this proposal as an actual healthcare proposal is to make the same mistake all over again.

The previous dead fish was actually a tax-cut bill. This one is designed to give the president* something—anything!—he can call a "win." It doesn't matter that this latest attempt has no chance of becoming law; there is no chance of its ever passing the Senate. Give the president* a win. Give him something he can call a win. Give him something that they will call a win on his favorite television programs. Thus is the entire business of the American republic reduced to the late Kim Jong-il's golf score.

The next general congressional recess is right around Memorial Day. Start lining up for those town halls today. Avoid the rush.

Respond to this post on the Esquire Politics Facebook page.

Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io