One of the true greats fell today.

[SueNC]

much sadness. my hero is gone.



Former Sen. Jesse Helms dies
Published: 7/4/08, 12:00 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, a North Carolina Republican who became an icon to conservatives, died Friday at the age of 86, the Jesse Helms Center announced.
Helms once said his job was to derail the freight train of liberalism.

Conservatives admired him for his opposition to abortion and what he called "indecent art," while liberals accused him of using race as a wedge issue to defeat black opponents.

The Jesse Helms Center, a private, non-partisan foundation, announced on its Web site that Helms died at 1:15 a.m. Friday in Raleigh.

The cause of death has not been announced. He had been ill in recent years.

Helms served five terms in the Senate, retiring in 2003 after deciding not to seek a sixth term.

President Bush said at the time the Senate was "losing an institution."

"Sen. Helms has been a tireless defender of our nation's freedom and a champion of democracy abroad," Bush said.

Helms' hometown newspaper, the Charlotte News & Observer, lionized him in 2001 as one of the creators of the modern Republican Party.

"Helms helped broaden the party to include religious conservatives and people who drank not just Chablis but sweet tea, and who drove not just BMWs but pickup trucks," the paper wrote when he announced his retirement.

"In doing so, Helms played a pivotal role in moving the Republican Party to the right -- changing the GOP from the party of Gerald Ford and Nelson Rockefeller to the party of Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich," the paper wrote.

When the Republicans were the majority party in the Senate, Helms was chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee, where he consistently moved U.S. policy toward the right, especially regarding the United Nations and Cuba.

He also held seats on the Agriculture Committee, where he looked out for North Carolina's extensive tobacco industry, and on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

The Heritage Foundation's president, Ed Feulner, hailed Helms as "one of the most consequential figures of the 20th century."

"Along with Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan, he helped establish the conservative movement and became a powerful voice for free markets and free people," Feulner wrote.

"The defeat of Soviet communism and the rise of Ronald Reagan would not have happened without his intrepid leadership at decisive times."

Helms was known as "Senator No" for his staunch opposition to an array of liberal causes, including affirmative action, funding for the arts, gay rights, and a holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In his later years, he worked with President Bill Clinton's secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, and U2 singer Bono to fight AIDS in Africa.

Helms had an operation in 2002, at age 80, to replace a faulty prosthetic heart valve put in place in 1992, when he also had quadruple-bypass surgery.

[J0ST0PH0LEES]

Awesome

[Craven Moorehead]

Jesse Helms was a blasphemous heretic who radically and purposefully misinterpreted the teachings of Christianity in order to promote his own evil, sick, twisted, cramped agenda as a bigot and homophobe. He purposefully hurt others in order to promote his own political power and the political power of those who believed as he did. Many people died because of what he did. He engaged in political repression in order to reinforce his own political power, and those of the bigoted, hate-filled, heretical, homophobes like him.

Good riddance.

[whitey131]

Wouldn't it be funny if he died from AIDS?

[ZeeZooZum]

Who the hell has a senator for a hero? Helms was another douche bag interested in expanding the size and power of government. Oh no someone is looking at Hustler! We need another law now!

[SueNC]

Originally Posted by Craven Moorehead

Jesse Helms was a blasphemous heretic who radically and purposefully misinterpreted the teachings of Christianity in order to promote his own evil, sick, twisted, cramped agenda as a bigot and homophobe. He purposefully hurt others in order to promote his own political power and the political power of those who believed as he did. Many people died because of what he did. He engaged in political repression in order to reinforce his own political power, and those of the bigoted, hate-filled, heretical, homophobes like him.

Good riddance.

what would you know about Christianity?


Helms was an amazing senator.
take no prisoners... back down for no one.

[antiface]

Back down for no one? I think the grim reaper might think differently.

[whitey131]

Originally Posted by SueNC

what would you know about Christianity?


Helms was an amazing senator.
take no prisoners... back down for no one.

So what aspects of Christianity do you feel he best represented?

[SueNC]

Originally Posted by whitey131

So what aspects of Christianity do you feel he best represented?

no idea. i never judged the man's Christianity. i just thought he was a great senator. Craven brought up his Christianity, as if he was one in a position to make that call.

Craven needs to stick to being the spineless lapdog to groupies and stop stalking me on the internet.

[J0ST0PH0LEES]

Hopefully everyone with the same stuck in the 1920's mentality he had will die soon

[Arg_Hamster]

Originally Posted by whitey131

Wouldn't it be funny if he died from AIDS?

Actually that would have been both awsome and ironic. Easy E could have been his little ebony slut bitch.

Misinterpret christianity? I´ve read so many parts of that book and it´s mostly a bunch of "Hey, just follow the big man, don´t think and you´re a winner". I think it possible to interpret that however you want. Can´t say I´m impressed by the language or wise words of the Bible. But let´s be honest - I´m a douche who loves hypocrites so I´m sure no honest self-fearing God would have anything to do with me, that would be bad for their reputation.

Yes, hypocrites. I love them. I love how they make up rules for others to follow and for them to ignore! I hope Helms had some skeletons in the closet (Oh, xarhtna reference). I love how Sean Penn talked about gun control and then he himself carries one in his ride. Or how my idol Ted Haggard preach abstinence, no bumfun and staying away from drugs while he´s taking drugs while getting an ass to mouth from his favourite man-whore! Of course he was cured from these evil cravings after three weeks of counseling!


"Found Jesus eh? Now drop them pants and squeal boy!"