Dick Cheney has a new heart. After waiting 20 months on the transplant list, the former Vice President was operated on yesterday.

Cheney has a history of heart trouble going back to the 1970's. He has suffered 5 heart attacks and had surgery several times previously.

Washington Post:

Former vice president Dick Cheney, who has suffered five heart attacks since his late 30s, underwent a heart transplant Saturday after more than 20 months on a transplant list, according to his office.

"Although the former Vice President and his family do not know the identity of the donor, they will be forever grateful for this lifesaving gift," Cheney aide Kara Ahern said in a statement issued Saturday night. Ahern said Cheney "is thankful to the teams of doctors and other medical professionals at Inova Fairfax and George Washington University Hospital for their continued outstanding care."

Cheney, 71, was recovering Saturday in the intensive care unit of Inova Fairfax Hospital in the Falls Church area, Ahern said.

Cheney, who served as vice president under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, suffered his first heart attack when he was 37. In 1988, Cheney underwent quadruple-bypass surgery. He also had two artery-clearing angioplasties and had a heart-monitoring device implanted. The device was removed in 2007.

Watch your Twitter feed today as I'm sure conservatives will be retweeting all those marvelously warm sentiments that will be expressed by liberals hoping for a speedy recovery for Mr. Cheney.

Update from Thomas Lifson:

Two people have already written in noting that under ObamaCare, a 71 year old would most likely never receive this kind of care, based on the criteria applied by our benevolent masters, as to useful years of life left.