Elijah Cummings dead at 68


It's something of a mystery to me why Republicans, particularly Trump, have anything nice to say about this guy after his death.

Elijah Cummings, the ultimate partisan, who did his level best to shut down investigation of "fast and furious" investigations, who did his best at every turn to shut down the Lois Lerner/IRS investigations. Who did his best to shut down any question that would shed light on the Benghazi attacks. Who did his best to shut down and suppress the truth about the illegal FISA warrants and other FBI, DOJ and intelligence abuses by Democrat loyalists in key positions.

Who never missed an opportunity to call Republicans racist.

Who seized every opportunity to call Trump in particular racist.

Who allowed his district to become a rat-infested poverty-stricken hub of violence among the worst of any other region of the country. Who ignored pleas for action from citizens and activists in his district, even as he enriched himself and used his power to wage partisan politics. And then called his accusers "racist" for telling the truth about him and his district! Even the liberal media in recent months exposed that his district was, in fact, crawling with rats, poverty-infested, and among the most violent districts in the country, and the black residents themselves said it was not "racist" to identify the city that way, but simple fact.

The guy who would not attend Donald Trump's inauguration, and spurred many other House and Senate Democrats to do the same. An unprecedented level of partisanship and divisive leadership. Has there ever been a similar boycott of a president's inauguration?

Maybe at one time Cummings was a good man who did something courageous and beneficiaal to society. But in the two decades I've been aware of his public life, I've yet to see it. He's been a leader of bitter politics, national division, suppression of truth, enabling corruption, callous unwillingness to help those suffering in his district, and ultimately, hate. Even as he falsely accused others of hate.

For the Republicans relentlessly attacked by him, especially Trump, it is a remarkable gesture of politeness on their part, that I never observed Cummings reciprocate in his miserable life.

Washington is better, his district is better, without him.