Column for July 10, 2008

We lost a strong leader with the passing of Jesse Helms

I read with sadness about the passing of Jesse Helms, longtime North Carolina Senator. Helms, like him or hate him, was a staunch conservative, often being called "Mr. No". I certainly wish that more elected representatives had the word "no" in their vocabulary. Helms was a straight shooter, which I admired greatly. You always knew where Jesse stood on issues. That is a noble quality in a man. I truly do not like politicians (or your average garden variety of person, for that matter) that waivers and you never know where he or she will stand. Politically, I had a hard time faulting him on many things. This quote from an internet web site, speaks volumes to me. "He was an outspoken conservative who opposed communism, tax increases, abortion, gay rights, affirmative action, food stamps, secularism, and government-funded healthcare." It takes guts to stand against some of these sacred cows that are so beloved by the socialists in our country. I wish we had 100 men just like Jesse Helms in the United States Senate.

I do not support some of Helms' apparently racist views. I have read many of them on the internet over the years, as well as in various media. I do, however, support his conservative view points. He was never politically correct in his approach to politics. Neither am I. He was also very witty in many of his "off the cuff" remarks. I laughed numerous times when he made comments directed at one of my least favorite Senators, Ted Kennedy. I have met and spoken briefly with Ted Kennedy, but I detest his politics, as did Helms. One example of a Helms jab at Kennedy was after having heart valve surgery. He remarked, "It's no piece of cake, but it sure beats listening to Ted Kennedy on the Senate floor." I concur.

It is quite possible that Ronald Reagan would never have been elected President without the help of Jesse Helms. In 1976, Reagan received a strong push for the GOP nomination over incumbent Gerald Ford. Of course, Ford won the nomination and went on to be defeated for President by Jimmy Carter. However, the strong showing made by Reagan with the help of Senator Helms, set up Reagan to be the next GOP nominee in 1980.

Helms chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which was actually a very powerful position. Senator Helms' influence in that position were felt internationally, as Helms had an effect on the USSR, Cuba, and was the first legislator from any country to address the United Nations Security Council.

Before the 1994 election, the GOP were a minority in the Senate and House of Representatives. In 1994, the tide turned for a while, as the rest of America caught up with the Jesse Helms brand of conservatism. Alas, those same representatives and the public at large soon forgot those same principles.

I still have a taped interview that an old friend of mine did with Senator Helms in the early 90's. Perhaps sometime soon, I will digitize it and put it on the internet. In that interview, Jesse Helms spoke of his views, his background, and his faith. If anyone wants a copy, please contact me.

I did support Senator Helms' stance in opposition to the Martin Luther King holiday, though for slightly different reasons. He thought it was a travesty to support that holiday based upon King's alleged ties to communist organizations. He also was aware of King's philandering. The latter is partially my lack of support for that holiday, but certainly not the entirety of my opposition. I loved his stance against homosexuality, and a host of other conservative principles that most so called conservatives today dare not touch because a lack of spine.

I have done some reading up on Senator Helms over the years, and especially since his passing on the early morning of July 4th. By the way, what a magnificent day to have one's life end, on a day we celebrate freedom and the principles that made this country great.

One evening, I had the distinct pleasure of having dinner with a lady who lives here in Johnston County. This young lady (now married with children) served as a clerk or legislative assistant of some sort in Senator Helms' office in Washington, DC. She apparently kept up with Jesse over the years. She said that he still met with friends and associates, though his dementia had taken its toll on him. It was obvious that this lady had a lot of fondness for the late senator. She recounted several stories of her time spent working for Senator Helms.

Oddly enough, that dinner was one of the things that helped to seal my departure from the Republican Party. I was a charter member of the county GOP men's club. That particular night, we had invited the lady speaker and her husband to share about her time with the senator. As it turned out, I was the only one to show up from the Johnston County GOP. Had I not taken my wife with me, the invited guests would have outnumbered the hosting party. I found such a lack of commitment and attendance not only rude but despicable. It was that sort of poor leadership that made me realize how ineffective the GOP really is. That was a portion of my reasons for leaving, but a strong portion.

Like him or hate him, North Carolina and the nation have lost a great leader and statesman in Jesse Helms. I can only hope and pray that we eventually have more men like him in our government some day.