Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We can’t confuse what’s necessary to win elections with the policies that we want to implement when we do.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

He seems like a smart guy, but JFC, what a dick!

Decision time: keep arguing about the last election, or try to win the next one?

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

The current Supreme Court is a dangerous, rogue court.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

I desperately hope that, yet again, i am wrong.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Not rolling over. fuck you, make me.

The line between political reporting and fan fiction continues to blur.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

The revolution will be supervised.

You are here: Home / Absent Friends / RIP / RIP Elijah Cummings

Reader Interactions

120Comments

  1. 1.

    H.E.Wolf

    “One question,” he said. “I have fought for the Union all my life. Will I see that fight won against those who would tear it apart?”

    “Not while you live,” said the stranger, grimly, “but it will be won. And after you are dead, there are thousands who will fight for your cause, because of words that you spoke.”

    tkinter.smig.net/Stuff/DevilAndDanielWebster/index.htm

  2. 2.

    Juju

    He was a truly a fine example of what every person should strive to be. He will be missed as a fellow human and as a great politician. I feel so sad now.

  4. 4.

    chopper

    had no idea he was dealing with health issues. he was so focused on congressional work he never complained. rip.

  5. 5.

    rikyrah

    ???

    He is reciting the poem – Just a Minute written by the former head of Morehouse College, Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays

    Wow. From Rep. Elijah Cummings’ first floor speech: “I only have a minute, only sixty seconds in it… Just a tiny little minute, But eternity is in it.” 4/25/96 #RIPElijahCummings pic.twitter.com/SV85PV74c0

    — Tommy X-TrumpIsARacist-opher (@tommyxtopher) October 17, 2019

  8. 8.

    Elizabelle

    I wish he could have lived to see justice served.

    A real loss, to lose a public servant who is a moral center like Elijah Cummings was.

  9. 9.

    Elizabelle

    Had not known he was in hospice. It was obvious that he faced health challenges; surprised to learn he was just 68.

    From WaPost:

    Elijah E. Cummings, a Democratic congressman from Maryland who gained national attention for his principled stands on politically charged issues in the House, his calming effect on anti-police riots in Baltimore, and his forceful opposition to the presidency of Donald Trump, died early Thursday morning at Gilchrist Hospice Care, a Johns Hopkins affiliate in Baltimore. He was 68.

    After undergoing an unspecified medical procedure, the Democratic leader did not return to his office this week, the Baltimore Sun reported. A statement from his office said that he had passed away due to “complications concerning longstanding health challenges.” Mr. Cummings was chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and a leading figure in the Trump impeachment inquiry.

  11. 11.

    rikyrah

    Lord have mercy!

    “When we’re dancing with the angels, the question will be asked: In 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy in tact? Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing?”

    — Rep Elijah Cummings pic.twitter.com/WaWucaRM5v

    — 3ChicsPolitico (@3ChicsPolitico) October 17, 2019

  14. 14.

    Cermet

    Yes, a heavy loss but you know the orange fart cloud will view this (as will his sick-o followers) as god’s will (lol.) Even if one believed in that silly mysticism, god would hardly notice the trivial issues of an orange fart cloud.

  15. 15.

    Elizabelle

    WaPost’s article is excellent; you will learn a lot about Elijah Cummings the man. It sums up:

    Mr. Cummings said he was driven by his faith and secure in his conviction that history would recognize his resolve to stand up for what he believed was right.

    “In the city of Baltimore, there are over a thousand monuments, and not one monument is erected to memorialize a critic,” he once said in a speech. “Every one of the monuments is erected to memorialize one who was severely criticized.”

  17. 17.

    hueyplong

    FDR died before Hitler.

    Lincoln died before Davis.

    Our side’s task is to do Elijah proud over the next year.

  18. 18.

    TaMara (HFG)

    May he rest in peace. And may we live up to his example.

  19. 19.

    Felanius Kootea

    Oh this hurts. I had no idea that he was so ill. We (Dems) have to carry on where he left off and do him proud. My deepest condolences to his family.

  20. 20.

    patrick II

    In my ignorance of public matters, I did not who he was a until a few years back. Then, I heard him give a great speech, so I read his about his life and some more of his speeches. I came to think of him as the greatest living American. An intellect who lived his high thoughts and told us and showed us how we might also. He will be missed.

  21. 21.

    Omnes Omnibus

    I had no idea he was that young. He seemed timeless. We will miss his voice, his righteous anger, and his grace.

  23. 23.

    cain

    It was with shock today, I read about the passing of Elijah Cummnings, like the rest of you I had no idea he was ill and was in hospice care. I will always remember him as a man who was never afraid to do what was right even though he was attacked for it. Truly a brave man. A true American.

  24. 24.

    arrieve

    I am mourning, but am inspired (a little) to remember that there are still great men and women in our government, people who still possess a moral core and are capable of reminding the rest of us what integrity and leadership look like. I’m sorry we’ve lost him, but grateful that we had him.

  25. 25.

    jl

    I mourn the passing of someone who I saw as, and I think Wonkette called, a great political badass, RIP.
    Cummings’ artful badassery was always a breeze of fresh air wafting through our corrupt political system.

  27. 27.

    columbusqueen

    This is dreadful. He is dancing with the angels, though, & he’ll never have to deal with Shitgibbon again since Trump won’t make it to heaven.

  28. 28.

    oldster

    He held his head high, and bowed to no man.

    He not only saw through the travesty of Trump — every moron in DC does that — he also spoke of it without cant or euphemism.

    He made us all better as human beings, and he leaves us a charge to keep.

  29. 29.

    Ruckus

    @arrieve:
    Very well said.
    Great people are born like everyone else, it’s what they do with their lives that matter. Mr. Cummings did greatness. He aspired to be better, to help his fellow beings and he did it with grace, thought, persistence and humanity. He wasn’t shallow or greedy. He is a model of better. Any of us should be proud to be one tenth the person he was.

  30. 30.

    West of the Rockies

    A man of honor and integrity, a man who fought for justice is gone. He was loved and respected by legions. Those will be some difficult shoes to fill.

  32. 32.

    Villago Delenda Est

    A great loss to the nation. Heartfelt condolences to his family. Rest in peace, Elijah Cummings, fighter of the good fight.

  33. 33.

    Ksmiami

    I mourn for him and as the ghouls on the Right dance, I prepare to fight. Remember he knew who and what we are dealing with

  35. 35.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    What shock. I had no idea he was in poor health, but now that I read that he’s been using a motorized wheelchair I remember seeing him using it and being surprised. He seemed so robust when he spoke. A huge loss to the country

  36. 36.

    tokyokie

    From the sounds of that Washington Post article, Elijah Cummings was only in hospice for about a week. And he basically was working right up until he entered hospice. From working at a nursing home, I’ve come to know just how bad of shape patients who enter hospice tend to be. That the Hon. Mr. Cummings was performing crucial work right up until his end while not betraying how gravely ill he was is an act of remarkable courage that I have difficulty comprehending. But it helps if one is pursuing a goal far greater than oneself. And his bravery in the face of his mortality should be an inspiration to all of us.

  37. 37.

    Ohio Mom

    I am consoling myself with the thought that Cummings lived to see the shift toward impeachment. I hope that gave him some peace, that his last great effort now has a momentum of its own.

  38. 38.

    Immanentize

    Didn’t I read Earlier this week that he was Making calls to Dems in danger (reddish districts) rallying them for a floor vote on the inquiry? On train, can’t look it up (or won’t)

  40. 40.

    Sherparick

    Congressman Cummings: You have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. Now there is in store for you the crown of righteousness. Thank you for your service and deepest condolences to your family and friends.

  41. 41.

    mrmoshpotato

    Seems fitting to post this here.

    Dick Durbin and Chris Coons may be the deciding votes to help confirm a Trump judge nominee who is opposed by civil rights groups. Why? To be courteous to the same Senate Republicans who blocked Merrick Garland. t.co/kMWMTDl5mB— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) October 17, 2019

    Let’s call our Senators, Delaware and Illinois.

  42. 42.

    Jharp

    More proof there is no God.

    No way would God, if he existed, take a good man like Congressman Cummings and let a piece of shit like Trump carry on.

  43. 43.

    Immanentize

    @Jharp: That is kinda just the opposite of how people of faith feel. He has justly deserved his reward. He fought, he suffered. There is a balm in heaven to heel the world sick soul.*

    Trump does not deserve such a balm.

    * From my favorite hymn. Of course, heaven is “Gilliad” in the song, but that word is slightly ruined now?

  45. 45.

    Patricia Kayden

    @chopper: Didn’t know he was sick either. Plus 68 is young. He was such a dignified gentleman — even when taking on odious Republicans. A true patriot.

  47. 47.

    jl

    One thing I really like about Cummings, is that along with his very inspiring talk, he was a real pro. His official actions and documents were clear, to the point, always a clearly stated rationale, with a clear point. Really an all round master at leadership and governance. From what I saw, he always produced documents, reports, demands, that clearly had to answered, and designed to reveal who was being honest and who was not, who knew what they were doing and who did not.

  49. 49.

    Daoud bin Daoud

    We can best honor Elijah Cummings by moving forward on impeachment, a subject dear to his heart.
    DO IT FOR ELIJAH!!
    #DoItForElijah

  50. 50.

    trollhattan

    A vital voice is silenced. r.i.p. Rep Cummings, you represented an entire nation in addition to your constituents.

  51. 51.

    jl

    A selfish comment, but I was looking forward to Cummings commentary and analysis, dissection, and official actions as the impeachment process unfolded. He was both inspiring to the heart and soul and brilliantly insightful and incisive for the mind. I’ve watched clips of him summarizing a messy situation, where fraudsters were trying to pull a fast one. He could clearly summarize the situation in such a clear way, with such a cool and detached mastery of facts history and detail, and vision of the overarching principles, with snark and wit that was dry as toast, and penetrating as laser beam. Sometimes just impossible to answer him, when he was up against some sketchy plot or incompetent malfeasance. He combined inspiration with a detached but very informed objectivity in a unique way.

    I will sorely miss his presence.

  52. 52.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    One of the greats. Such a sad day.

    I’ve already seen hope and speculation that his widow, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, might run for his seat. It sounds like she’s more than qualified, a successful business owner, a PhD in Political Science, and a previous run for MD governor (so not averse to politics). Obviously too early to be discussing this.

  53. 53.

    Gelfling 545

    That he is gone while such as Trump still burden the earth with their presence sickens me. I ask myself who will be able to take up his rôle as a proponent of justice & decency but I have no answer.

  56. 56.

    rikyrah

    A white mob attacked Elijah Cummings for integrating a swimming pool.

    He was 11.

    The Maryland congressman, who died Thursday, had a scar on his face for the rest of his life. t.co/PYG67TepPw

    — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 17, 2019

  57. 57.

    Aleta

    Deeply sad he is gone, and very grateful to Rep Cummings. I regret that so much of his strength and intellect had to be spent fighting racism his entire life, and that the last three years with his family were these last three years. At the same time we are fortunate he was here and willing to influence and guide everyone to continue on.

    I’ll always blame Republicans. libertarians and the Trump crime organization for bringing new stress and scenes of cruelty to a good man.

    Wiki “He is married to Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, who was elected chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party in December 2018. They have three children.”

  58. 58.

    Elizabelle

    @jl: From the WaPost: Elijah Cummings, Baltimore congressman and civil rights leader, dies at 68

    Sounds like he was a very good lawyer. He was in private practice for 20 years before being elected to Congress; practiced for about 7 years before he first won a seat as a state delegate. And:

    He also helped law students develop their oral and writing skills as chief judge on the Maryland Moot Court, a competition in which students submit briefs and present oral arguments in a hypothetical appellate case.

    The late, great Mr. Cummings also had a Perry Mason fascination at one point, but he used his for the common good:

    Born to a family of Southern sharecroppers and Baptist preachers, Mr. Cummings grew up in the racially fractured Baltimore of the 1950s and 1960s. At 11, he helped integrate a local swimming pool while being attacked with bottles and rocks. “Perry Mason,” the popular TV series about a fictional defense lawyer, inspired him to enter the legal profession.

    “Many young men in my neighborhood were going to reform school,” he told the East Texas Review. “Though I didn’t completely know what reform school was, I knew that Perry Mason won a lot of cases. I also thought that these young men probably needed lawyers.”

    In the Maryland House of Delegates, he became the youngest chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus and the first African American to serve as speaker pro tem, the member who presides in the speaker’s absence.

    In 1996, he won the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives that Kweisi Mfume (D) vacated to become NAACP president. Mr. Cummings eventually served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and as ranking Democrat and then chairman of what became the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

    He drew national attention as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s chief defender during 2015 congressional hearings into her handling of the attack three years earlier on U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, Libya. The attack killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

    He was “the quintessential speaking-truth-to-power representative,” said Herbert C. Smith, a political science professor at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md. “Cummings has never shied from a very forceful give-and-take.”

    … The [Benghazi hearings] experience didn’t appear to sour [Trey] Gowdy on Mr. Cummings.

    “It’s not about politics to him; he says what he believes,” Gowdy told the Hill newspaper. “And you can tell the ones who are saying it because it was in a memo they got that morning, and you can tell the ones who it’s coming from their soul. And with Mr. Cummings, it’s coming from his soul.”

    Elijah Eugene Cummings was born in Baltimore on Jan. 18, 1951. His father worked at a chemical factory, his mother at a pickle factory and later as a maid while raising seven children. Both parents came from sharecropping families in South Carolina. Although they struggled to feed their family, his parents would can apples and peaches and give half the preserves to people in need.

    The proprietor of a Baltimore drugstore where Mr. Cummings worked paid his application fee to Howard University and, during Mr. Cummings’s time as a Howard student, regularly sent him $10 with a note that read, “Hang in there.”

    At Howard, he served as student government president, and he received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1973. He received a law degree from the University of Maryland three years later and practiced law, mostly in private practice, for nearly two decades.

    … In the Maryland House of Delegates [1983 to 1996], he championed a ban on alcohol and tobacco ads on inner-city billboards in Baltimore — the first prohibition of its kind in a major U.S. city.

    The whole WaPost article is worth a click.

  62. 62.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Charles P. Pierce’s tribute to Rep. Cummings is eloquent. It’s not long, but every word is borne of profound respect.

    We often think of Charlie as a Master of Snark — and he is that, certainly — but when there’s an atrocity committed, or a genuine loss to the country, or some other major event that gets his Irish up, Mr. CPP is a poet of the first rank.

  65. 65.

    Aleta

    Thanks @rikyrah and others for the quotes and tweet copies this am. Internet and computer charge are limited today because power’s out almost everywhere. Wouldn’t have been able to read these without you. ?? ?

  68. 68.

    Miss Bianca

    It would have been a dear friend’s birthday today – he died earlier this year, way too young, at 57. So I was already feeling sad, but now this…

    I feel like the psalmist of old, who lamented, “I have seen the wicked man in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree”, while it seems that the righteous, the honest, the good, the true, and the funny, get mowed down like grass.

    We still have some good ones, and some great ones, fighting the good fights. It’s just that I get so downhearted when it’s a man like Elijah Cummings that we lose when we need him so badly.

    RIP, Rep. Cummings.

  70. 70.

    jl

    TPM has a post up on how Cummings was not only inspiring but deadly effective and efficient at destroying frauds and BS.

    How Elijah Cummings Helped Blow Up The Census Citizenship Question
    twitter.com/joshtpm/status/1184858613552209920

    Edit: sorry, linked story in the tweet is behind a paywall, which I didn’t notice at first since I’m a member. Well, for those who are not, an example of his stellar work

  72. 72.

    sdhays

    @tokyokie: This is what’s crazy. The man was DYING and was driving the administration crazy with how his oversight committee was running full tilt. No indication from the work of his committee that there was anything going on.

    Such a loss. And I’m sorry that he had to deal with all of this while also dealing with his deteriorating health.

  73. 73.

    Tazj

    @Elizabelle: Wow, what a wonderful life he led! He did so much good work helping other people to the end. Like Nancy Pelosi said “He lived the American dream and wanted to help others do the same.”

  74. 74.

    cintibud

    @H.E.Wolf: Wow, what a fitting comment. I thought I recognized it and followed the link to the classic story of The Devil and Daniel Webster. I jumped down to the end, where this quote appears, and read the ending and smiled. I then came back to your post, reread the quote in modern context and felt my eyes tear up

  75. 75.

    Joe Falco

    We seem to lose our liberal lions right before the fight is won. In recent years, Ted Kennedy and now Elijah Cummings. RIP, congressman. You fought the good fight.

  76. 76.

    dww44

    @chopper: Haven’t read through all the comments, but saw a 60 Minutes interview a few months back. He did not appear to be in good health then and the interviewer, in a kind way, alluded to it and Cummings responded that he was up to the task of holding Trump accountable and fulfilling his role as Chairman of Oversight.

  77. 77.

    piratedan

    as much as it saddens me to mention it, who is next to follow in his footsteps as the oversight chairman/person? Hoping that they can follow his exemplary example.

  78. 78.

    Another Scott

    He was a great man and a great representative. I liked the way he ran the Oversight hearings as well. He was gracious to witnesses and to the GOP members even when he disagreed with their policies and tactics. He always punched up, never down.

    RIP.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  79. 79.

    Elizabelle

    Think, also, how Nancy Pelosi, other leaders in Congress, and all his colleagues on House committees, and his family and friends, protected Mr. Cummings’ privacy while in hospice.

  80. 80.

    dmsilev

    Tierney Sneed at TPM remembers his fight to protect the Census:

    How Elijah Cummings Helped Blow Up The Census Citizenship Question

    The late House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) made investigating the President Trump’s census citizenship question a priority as he retook the gavel this year — and, in that probe, uncovered a key piece of evidence that helped the question’s legal challengers blow open the case.

    Much has been written about the role that the files of a now-deceased GOP gerrymandering expert played in the late stages of litigation. But it was an interview done by Cummings’ committee that helped connect one of those documents to how the question was added to the 2020 census.

  82. 82.

    Martin

    @sdhays: The work he was doing was important to millions of people, and he knew that. How could he stop?

    This is what good public servants look like. What a sad day.

  83. 83.

    eric

    I was surprised by the words of Trey Gowdy on his twitter feed. I am not a fan of his, but his words were heartfelt and filled with appreciation. It was an interesting read.

  84. 84.

    Kay

    Elijah E. Cummings
    @RepCummings
    ·Jul 24
    I’m begging the American people to pay attention to what is going on. Because if you want to have a democracy intact for your children, and your children’s children, and generations yet unborn we’ve got to guard this moment…this is our watch.

  85. 85.

    sdhays

    OT: Dump actually went ahead and scheduled the next G7 his shitty Miami golf course, Trump Doral. They’re not even trying to cover this shit up anymore.

  87. 87.

    SenyorDave

    @columbusqueen: @columbusqueen: This is dreadful. He is dancing with the angels, though, & he’ll never have to deal with Shitgibbon again since Trump won’t make it to heaven.

    Beautiful sentiments. I would mention that not only will Trump not make it to heaven, but even hell is looking doubtful. After all, even Satan has some standards.

  88. 88.

    Avalune

    We noticed he was using a walker in a news clip the other day and wondered about his health. The man was an icon to be sure.

    I watched about 2 minutes of Mick insisting that Trumps place was far far and away the best place to host G7 like it was “built” for it! And insist the president doesn’t get any profit and it’s totally not like Hunter Biden. That was about 2 minutes too much.

  92. 92.

    Kay

    @sdhays:

    It’s shocking how brazen they are and it’s getting worse. It gets worse every month.
    It’s just so shameful. We’ve all been reduced to some shitty, sleazy Trump business scam.
    I don’t know what else the House can do but if there’s a way to ratchet up the pressure they need to- these people are out of control.

  93. 93.

    Kay

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    In sight of the whole world. It’s like they’re throwing it up as “look at what dupes these clowns in the US are- we steal from them and nothing happens”

    It’s a big “fuck you” to the US public deliberately trotted out for the whole world to see.

  94. 94.

    Death Panel Truck

    “We have suffered a loss that cannot be weighed.”
    –LBJ, on the passing of JFK.

    Cummings was the embodiment of everything good and decent about America. May he rest in peace.

  95. 95.

    schrodingers_cat

    Now that BJ favorite Mayor Pete has attacked the even bigger BJ favorite Senator Warren, in the last debate, I am here with all the popcorn to see what happens next.

  96. 96.

    Kay

    Maggie Haberman
    @maggieNYT
    ·29m
    “The president has pretty much made it very clear since he got here that he doesn’t profit” from being president,” Mulavney says. “Will not be profiting here.” Says they’re doing the event “at cost,” making it cheaper than it would otherwise be.

    Just shameless. The low quality Trump hires are now going to pick our pocket and brag about it. Sleazy, lying operators to a man or woman.

    I resent paying every single one of them. Trump should pay them, not the public. I’m sick of funding this criminal enterprise.

  98. 98.

    Mary G

    Rest in Power, Representative Cummings. He fought the hard fight, both as minority ranking member, and as chairman of a vital committee.

    Anybody who pissed off my former representative is good with me. From the Oversite Committee website:

    Washington, DC (Mar. 5, 2014)—During a hearing today before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Committee Chairman Darrell E. Issa posed questions for approximately 15 minutes to former IRS official Lois Lerner, who stated, as she had nine months ago, that she was invoking her Fifth Amendment right not to testify.

    When it came time for the Committee’s Ranking Member, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, to take his turn for questions under Committee and House Rules, Issa quickly adjourned the hearing, turned off Cummings’ microphone, and refused to allow him to make any statement or ask any questions.

    Cummings immediately protested, stating: “You cannot have a one-sided investigation. There is absolutely something wrong with that. And it’s absolutely un-American.” Issa then returned, turned on Cummings’ microphone, and allowed him to begin his statement.

    However, when it became clear that Issa did not like what Cummings was saying, Issa again turned off Cummings’ microphone and repeatedly signaled to Republican staff with his hand across his neck.

    Cummings proceeded to read his statement and questions in the hearing room as all of the Committee’s Republicans fled the hearing room.

    What a fighter we have lost.

  99. 99.

    Kay

    Mulavney is out groveling to get back in Trump’s favor. Lying up a storm, kissing Trump’s giant ass. I guess it was either that or start working for a living and God knows none of these people are employable at legitimate businesses.

  101. 101.

    Ruckus

    @Daoud bin Daoud:
    Mr. Cummings was not doing the work that he did for himself, he was doing it for all of us. We owe him a country’s worth of gratitude for his work and that we all finish his work and therefore honor him.

  102. 102.

    Avalune

    @sdhays: He insisted multiple times that Trump wouldn’t profit – said I’ve made it clear…in the 2 minutes I could stomach. But didn’t appear to be able to back that up with any facts. I guess when you say I’ve made it clear that is in itself sufficient.

  103. 103.

    Miss Bianca

    @schrodingers_cat: Uh, thanks for expressing that uplifting sentiment and reminding us that no matter what else happens, Dems in Disarray is the trope that should be at the top of all of our personal agendas.

    Meanwhile, if you don’t mind, I’m going to be over here being sad about Elijah Cummings for a little while longer.

  104. 104.

    rikyrah

    ?????

    Black bunting is now draped over the office of ⁦@RepCummings⁩ in honor of his life & legacy. ⁦@fox5dc⁩ ⁦@FoxNews⁩ pic.twitter.com/IufKrf4I7a

    — Melanie Alnwick (@fox5melanie) October 17, 2019

  105. 105.

    sdhays

    @Kay: Ah, “at cost”. Previous reporting suggested that Dump’s Bedbug Motel is struggling. Even covering costs puts money in Dump’s pocket, setting aside the benefits of upgrading the status of the property from Bedbug Motel to G7 resort.

  106. 106.

    Elizabelle

    @Kay:

    We should not believe a word that comes out of this administration. Fresh thread on the Doral topic up next.

    Trump and his corruption and his flying monkeys do not belong in a tribute thread to Elijah Cummings. Be gone, miscreants.

  108. 108.

    Elizabelle

    @schrodingers_cat:

    had T’s number right from the get go.

    Elijah Cummings is actually the complete opposite of Donald Trump. Complete. The only thing they share is gender and citizenship. Period.

  109. 109.

    schrodingers_cat

    @Miss Bianca: I am not team EW for President but she is my senator and I admire her work on CFPB and regulating capital markets. I did not like Mayor Pete’s attack on her in the debate repeating Republican talking points.

  110. 110.

    scav

    I am very conscious of how inarticulate I am circumstances such as these, so will comfine myself to to reconizing how much of an exemplar of a human and representative politicial Elijah Cummings was, and furthermore note how brightly he stands out from so many of his neighbors. Seems only fitting to light a physical candle in his honor and actively hope he continues to be both a personal and general inspiration.

  112. 112.

    Mnemosyne

    I don’t have anything eloquent to say. I’m just sad and sorry for his family. Since it was a hospice situation, I hope he was able to transition peacefully and as pain-free as possible.

  113. 113.

    prostratedragon

    Tierney Sneed at TPM remembers the passion Rep. Cummings brought to the vital grunt work of guarding our voting rights and democracy:

    “How Elijah Cummings Helped Blow Up The Census Citizenship Question”

    Cummings’ investigation helped connect to the Trump administration the files that the question’s legal challengers found on the back-up drives of Thomas Hofeller, a GOP redistricting expert who died last year, which were turned over to them by his estranged daughter. They had found a document apparently written by Hofeller laying out the bogus justification — that data from the question would enhance Voting Rights Act enforcement — the Trump administration would ultimately adopt when explaining why it was adding a question.

    […]

    His confrontation with the administration’s stonewalling in the census probe culminated in contempt of Congress votes on the floor for Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General Bill Barr. To this day they are the only two administration figures who have been held a contempt by the full House — a sign of how significant House Democrats, led by Cummings, thought the census issue was.

    “The Departments of Justice and Commerce have been engaged in a campaign to subvert our laws and the processes Congress put in place to maintain the integrity of the Census,” Cummings said at the time of the contempt vote. “The resolution before us today is about protecting our democracy. “

  114. 114.

    H.E.Wolf

    @cintibud:
    Thank you. (Mine too.)

    Rep. Cummings was a great and good man. I’m glad we’re paying him honor today.

    And if we don’t each of us do our part to protect the Union, one and indivisible, he’s liable to rear right out of the ground….

  115. 115.

    frosty

    @BroD: Not my rep, but he was the congressman for my workplace. He was going to visit for a meet and greet a couple of years ago but had to cancel and we never got it rescheduled, unfortunately. He will be greatly missed.

  117. 117.

    Brachiator

    I feel great sadness at the passing of such an honorable man. I also must confess anger and frustration that a man who represented the best of this country is gone while Trump continues to make a mess of everything he touches.

    I can only hope that Cummings’ legacy lives on and continues to inspire and to give us strength.

    Peace and blessings to his family and to all who loved him.

  118. 118.

    Dan B

    Elijah Cummings recognized the humanity in every minority group. He embodied the principles that we label as intersectionality but which is really just a deep understanding of our shared dignity, even when we are imperfect. It’s vitally important to our success as a democracy for us to beat back any thought that some of us in any group are less worthy than others but those who would deny rights or opportunity to another group must be held accountable. He has big shoes to fill.

  119. 119.

    Laura Too

    I am heartbroken. I heard the news this morning before work and haven’t been able to shake my sadness. So nice to read all the beautiful tributes. He will be missed.

  120. 120.

    Dorsie Searcy

    I am very saddened of the lost of our great Congressman ( Elijah Cummings ) may he Rest In Peace and his wife and family continue to persevere and the blessings of the “ Almighty” continue to be with them.

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