It was  Oct. 29, 2002. The Williams Arena “was filled to overflowing for the memorial service paying tribute to [Paul] Wellstone and the others who died — his wife, Sheila Wellstone, his daughter, Marcia Wellstone, aides Will McLaughlin and Tom Lapic, family friend Mary McEvoy and the two pilots, Richard Conry and Michael Guess” in a plane crash.

The plane crash happened 11 days before the Minnesota Democrat was to stand for re-election against Republican candidate Norm Coleman.

It was one of the most politically charged events in history.

The Democrats turned the funeral into a political rally. It was a terrible display of partisanship. The Democrats didn’t care that much about the dead. What they really cared about was keeping the Senate seat held by Wellstone in the Democrat camp.

People of all political perspectives had come to show their respect. Party affiliation didn’t matter — except when it comes to Democrats. Former Senator Trent Lott from Mississippi attended but he who was booed by some of the mourners when they saw him. As one Democrat critic of the spectacle said, “Well, he didn’t have to be there. I don’t think that was just a gesture. It had a dignity and a generosity about it. He needed to be thanked and honored for coming. So did many others.”

It was so bad that some in attendance, including then Gov. Jesse Ventura, left early.

In the end, the Democrats lost because of the political nature of the event. It was nasty. Wellstone’s seat was lost to a Republican and some argue that it tainted Walter Mondale’s political career.

Here’s the worst part of the John McCain funeral. Democrats and Republicans joined in the Trump bashing. Don’t tell me there isn’t a Democrat and Republican Establishment. There is. Don’t tell me there’s no swamp. It stinks and it’s deep and wide.

Don’t believe me? There’s an admitted “saboteur” in the White House. Actually, there are lots of them. This guy and his minions believe they were elected President of the United States.  Writing anonymously for the New York Times, this senior official in the Trump administration demonstrates he’s part of the swamp with these concluding comments from his article:

Senator John McCain put it best in his farewell letter. All Americans should heed his words and break free of the tribalism trap, with the high aim of uniting through our shared values and love of this great nation.

We may no longer have Senator McCain. But we will always have his example — a lodestar for restoring honor to public life and our national dialogue. Mr. Trump may fear such honorable men, but we should revere them.

There is a quiet resistance within the administration of people choosing to put country first. But the real difference will be made by everyday citizens rising above politics, reaching across the aisle and resolving to shed the labels in favor of a single one: Americans.

Yes, let’s “reach across the aisle.” Why not ask Brett Kavanaugh how that’s working out.

Reaching across the aisle means going along with the Democrat Party that has given us some of the worst legislation imaginable that has enslaved millions of people and kept the middle class in a state of perpetual wheel-spinning.

How do you reach across the aisle with Democrats who are self-professing socialists?