Jesse Helms, 1921-2008

The former Republican Senator from North Carolina passed away Friday, July 4th.

Jesse Helms went from a career in journalism and working as a campaign operative to the Raleigh City Council to winning the United States Senate race of 1972 in North Carolina, the first time a Republican was elected from North Carolina in the 20th century. As was the case with many segregationist Republicans in the 1970s, Helms had spent most of his political life as a Democrat and was one of many who switched allegiances to the Republican Party over Federal civil rights policies and The Great Society.

During his five terms in the U.S. Senate, Helms was a standard bearer for the conservative South. Whether telling then-President Bill Clinton that he "better watch out" if he visited North Carolina because it wouldn't be safe for him, or waxing nostalgic about the good old days before desegregation, he was usually creating the storm rather than enjoying the lull in its eye. On foreign policy, he was the standard bearer for what I call "The One Question" approach ("are you against communism?") to foreign policy that enabled the birth of both al-Qaeda and the Taliban. He was also an unwavering friend of indicted Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.