EMILY ZANOTTI: Life After Ryan: Sen. Cotton May Soon Be Congress’ New Bossman and No. 1 Heartthrob.

Now, though, these two Congressional heartthrobs are locked in a battle that goes beyond the mere size of their biceps: a struggle over how the Republican Party will handle repealing, replacing or reforming the Affordable Care Act.

Ryan has, of course, proposed the American Health Care Act, which accomplishes some of the GOP’s campaign goals—like ending the healthcare mandate, for example, and guaranteeing right of free exercise for religious health care workers. But it is far from perfect, or even palatable, to most Republicans.

The Administration waffles on the plan daily, saying sometimes that “it’s just the first of a three-part” legislative series, and then pinning the blame for the bare-bones bill squarely on Ryan.

Sen. Cotton, however, has been riding to the rescue of concerned conservatives—perhaps the only one in the GOP badass enough to halt a train going swiftly off the tracks.

Ryan hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory, much less badassery, with the AHCA.