Especially not when his only child (that I know of) is a Democrat and a war hero. Well, a former army meteorologist, but I'm sure she's a war hero too. Here's a picture of her heroic service in our war(?) in Bermuda...

if a "stepmother"--even one I liked and had had a good relationship with--ignored my grief and any consideration of my wishes (again, maybe there is more to the story and if the SM really was a loving decades-long life partner than I'd certainly think the two should find a compromise). I find a picture of her with children in Bermuda quite heartwarming... Does she HAVE to be a war hero?

You lost me.

I was prepared to have a good laugh at Republican hypocrisy only to feel disappointed that the politician was a Democrat. So I'm more amused at my own double standards.

Dressing up in black to commit a burglary is incredibly out of line for someone who is supposed to create laws to protect people from this type of behavior.

Family matters totally blown out of proportion and politicized is not my idea of helping ANYTHING, but anything goes, it appears nowadays. This ought to be handled by a court-assigned mediation, IMHO and if politics stayed out of it (along with the media) it probably would/could be.

Don't get all excited because I added some of my own opinion to your education.

You can add that to YOUR education.

Maybe the step mother had been married to her father for decades and cared for him through his end of life, we don't know because the story has no information about that.

But don't let it diminish your attempt to create a strawman.

"I'd bet that Stepmother is really something albeit I don't know her side of the story..."

but instead, I will waste no more time with you. Have a wonderful day--

Obviously there's some unfortunate family dynamic going on here, but she broke into the house at night, dressed all in black like a ninja. That's breaking and entering, no matter what the explanation might be, and no matter what her political affiliation is. "Perfectly understandable misjudgment"? Sorry, but I'm not about to excuse that kind of behavior just because someone is "one of us." Sometimes Democrats also do stupid or even criminal things.

Wrong is wrong regardless of party.

intending to steal the ashes, pictures, and a flannel shirt. Good grief.

The wife of the deceased is the rightful owner of those things. If my husband dies, I keep his ashes.

A disappointing act from a Democrat, to be sure, but we're only human after all. I'd still vote for her over any Repug.

If I was still in self-mocking mode, I'd try to make a joke about her wearing black cause she's in mourning.

What she did was wrong.

and exploitative IMO.

And your broader point made me lol.

as details develop.

Breaking in is wrong but we don't know what's going on that would make a daughter desperate enough to do this.
On the other hand, maybe she's not as sympathetic as the situation presents at this moment in time.

B) Finding out the burglar was a stepchild.

Second wifehood can be a tough gig. Like it or not, you're a latecomer to the family and some people treat you as such. OTOH, some new wives make it hard on themselves. There was a reddit thread about a first wife being asked to take her maiden name back because her ex's fiance wanted to be the only Mrs. so-and-so. If you're that insecure, you have no business stepping into an established family.

Then again, there was a situation where the daughter of a newly-deceased man tried to insist there must be no mention whatsoever of her dad's second wife in his obituary. Only her late mother, she said, should be mentioned. Naturally the widow was upset and the obituary ended up not running. Wonder if Mitchell's dad was a widower when he married, or if there was a contentious divorce.

I can't even imagine what went on between Mitchell and her stepmom. Must have been a major fallout, a major breakdown in communication for this to happen. Or just an acrimonious relationship that lasted throughout the marriage. I'm trying to be understanding, but a burglary is no way to handle.