Helms dead at 86
From the Associated Press:
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former Sen. Jesse Helms, who built a career along the fault lines of racial politics and battled liberals, Communists and the occasional fellow Republican during 30 conservative years in Congress, died on the Fourth of July.
He was 86.
Helms died at 1:15 a.m., said the Jesse Helms Center at Wingate University in North Carolina.
"He was very comfortable," said former chief of staff Jimy Broughton, who added Helms died of natural causes in Raleigh.
Helms, who first became known to North Carolina voters as a newspaper and television commentator, won election to the Senate in 1972 and decided not to run for a sixth term in 2002.
As he aged, Helms was slowed by a variety of illnesses, including a bone disorder, prostate cancer and heart problems, and he made his way through the Capitol on a motorized scooter as his career neared an end. In April 2006, his family announced that he had been moved into a convalescent center after being diagnosed with vascular dementia, in which repeated minor strokes damage the brain.
The center said funeral arrangements were pending.
The world is a better place tonight with an evil bigot like Helms gone.
Posted by: Brian Tyler | 04 July 2008 at 09:21 PM
Brian Tyler,
Wrong...Senator Helms fought for the things he and the majority still believe in. He wasnt an ankle grabbing, bedwetting liberal.
Posted by: RW | 04 July 2008 at 11:16 PM
Jessie Hekms was a true patriot and statesman. He was not a deal cutter - instaed he stood his ground on issues. That is something my spineless Republican party needs to recapture.Mention race today and the republicans head for the tall grass but Jessie took the racial demogoging head on - and WON!
Thanks Jessie for your service. Rest in peace.
Posted by: Bob | 05 July 2008 at 09:28 AM
Bob,
Well said! The Republican Party has been a catastrophe under George Bush! He could fix this illegal immigration mess if his heart was in it! Jesse Helms would not be paying the hospital bills for illegals!!
Posted by: RW | 05 July 2008 at 12:01 PM
Jessie Helms was a full blooded racist to the end and was an embarrasment to America!
Posted by: Shanice | 07 July 2008 at 09:32 AM
Jessie Helms was a full blooded racist to the end and was an embarrasment to America!
Posted by: Shanice | 07 July 2008 at 09:32 AM
Jesse Helms did not contribute one single thing to the betterment of this nation. He was a racist and cared little for underlying values that make this a great country.
Posted by: Randy | 07 July 2008 at 11:35 AM
LORD hELP US IF JESSE HELMS IS CONSIDERED A HERO. HE WAS A MEAN OLD MAN THAT THOUGHT ONLY OF HIMSELF. I ONLY HOPE THAT WHEN HE GETS TO HELL HE WILL FIND THAT BLACK PEOPLE WILL BE THERE WITH HIM. I HOPE THAT HE ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS BEFORE HE DIED AND GOD LET HIM IN HEAVEN WHERE THERE ARE BLACK PEOPLE.O, I FORGOT HE HAD HIS ON PRIVATE HELL OR HEAVEN! POOR SOUL!
Posted by: Barbara | 09 July 2008 at 05:39 AM
Jessie Helms was not good for America not only is the state of North Carolina but America is a better place without a bold bigot as himself. Helms was one of the biggist racist since former Alabama Governor George Wallace and Helms is in his spot that Satan had reserved for him in hell.
Posted by: Shanice | 10 July 2008 at 06:08 PM
i did not like him anyway
Posted by: webstigma | 27 July 2008 at 05:42 AM