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Things We Saw Today: A Pallbearer at Elijah Cummings’ Funeral Snubbed Mitch McConnell and It Was Exceptional

Mitch McConnell gets snubbed at Elijah Cummings' funeral by pallbearer

A true American hero emerged today at Elijah Cummings’ funeral. One of his pallbearers, going down the line of distinguished statespeople and shaking their hands, passed right by “Moscow Mitch” McConnell.

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A clip of the moment, which fast vent viral, has since been viewed more than 2 million times on Twitter. After the man moves past McConnell without a handshake, McConnell turns to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in apparent surprise.

I would like to buy this pallbearer a bottle of wine and give him a trophy. This is what the kids would term a 2019 mood.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is often said to resemble a turtle but I will not disparage turtles in such a fashion. His very real, horrific actions go far beyond reptilian resemblance. The damage McConnell does to America on a daily basis by allowing for Donald Trump’s crimes, and refusing to pass bills like the bipartisan election security bill, among others, is incalculable. McConnell should never know peace.

Per Newsweek:

The man who did not shake McConnell’s hand is reported to be Bobby Rankin, who is listed as a pallbearer for Cummings’ funeral on Friday, October 25.

The incident occurred during the service for the late Oversight Committee chairman, who became the first black lawmaker to lie in state at the Capitol.

Elijah Cummings, the widely respected Baltimore Democrat and powerful House Oversight Committee chairman, was a frequent target for Donald Trump—Cummings had always boldly pushed back against the President’s corruption and outlandish behavior. He was so dedicated that he was still signing subpoenas on his deathbed that concerned Trump’s attempt to bar severely ill immigrants from seeking treatment in the United States.

Mitch McConnell is not only single-handedly holding back bipartisan bills that are gathering dust on his desk, but continues to legitimize Trump’s cruel (and often illegal) actions. If the Senate derails Trump’s ultimate impeachment, it will be because of Mitch McConnell. He’s also the reason why we have Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court instead of Merrick Garland, after McConnell hijacked President Obama’s rightful appointment.

Bless the hero who was able to convey the utter contempt so many of us have for Mitch McConnell with the mere act of not shaking his hand. He didn’t need to call out McConnell or say anything. An elegant and effective protest. He simply passed right by McConnell as though he did not matter, and it was beautiful to see.

History will one day skewer Mitch McConnell. May that day come quickly—and in the interim, let him continue to suffer the public repercussions of his indefensible choices.

(via Newsweek, image: screengrab)

Far more important than Mitch McConnell, here is Cummings’ wife Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings eulogizing her husband.

What else did we see today?

  • A scientific study has discovered that rats love to drive tiny little cars around, surely the best scientific study in existence. (via BGR)
  • Meanwhile in animal news, a hunter was gored to death when checking to see if the deer he shot was dead. Turnabout’s fair play. (via BBC)
  • James Bond producers apparently passed on a Barry Jenkins-directed Moneypenny movie? What the hell is wrong with them? (via Slashfilm)
  • “Explosive William Barr news points to Trump’s weakness and panic” (via The Washington Post)
  • Betsy “Cruella De Vil” DeVos was found in contempt of court because of the Department of Education continuing to collect student loans from those who attended defunct for-profit institutions. Lock her up! (via CBS News)
  • “The Soft Sexism of Food in Video Games” (via Eater)

We would die for Cinderblock.

What did you see today?

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Author
Kaila Hale-Stern
Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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