Rand Paul's "Repeal-and-Delay" boondoggle of a bill failed in the Senate, going down in flames 45-55.

Senators Collins, Capito, Murkowski, Alexander, McCain, Portman and Heller voted against it. All other Republicans voted for the bill, which would have ripped health insurance away from 32 million people and cut Medicaid by $800 billion immediately while putting lots of big bucks in the pockets of billionaire donors.

Right after that bill failed, there was a motion to send the bill to committee to remove the Medicaid provisions. That, too, failed on a party line vote.

I wasn't a fan of the amendment to send it to committee for that reason alone, but let's be honest. It would have been a step toward regular order, that thing John McCain was mourning yesterday. Today he had an opportunity to send it in that direction, but that proposal was also defeated on a straight 48-52 party line vote.

So much for Maverick McMavericky.

Now we move on to the "skinny repeal," which will not go anywhere in the House. We may (and I never ever count this as absolute) -- MAY -- be at a stalemate.