Conservative Champion Jesse Helms Dies at 86

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This entry was posted on 7/5/2008 2:12 PM and is filed under Politics '08 - 06,Celebrities '08.



By AmericasNewsToday.Org staff 

Former Sen. Jesse Helms, a Capitol Hill icon who devoted 30 years in the Senate to championing Conservative causes, died Friday morning. He was 86.

The Jesse Helms Center posted a brief statement on its Web site saying Helms died at 1:15 a.m. in Raleigh, N.C., on the Fourth of July.

The five-term Republican senator from North Carolina formerly chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and used his clout to rail against Communism, liberalism and big government. Known by some as "Senator No" for his opposition to Democratic measures, Helms was a polarizing figure for his positions on social issues.

He was a proponent of school prayer and an opponent of abortion rights and gay rights groups. In the Senate, he forced roll-call votes that required Democrats to take sensitive positions on topics such as flag burning and school busing.

No matter his positions, colleagues said he always was a gentleman. Funeral services are planned for Tuesday at Helms' longtime church in Raleigh.

"He's just a good, honest, decent man," former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole told Fox News. "Now his philosophy would drive some people up a tree."

Helms and his wife, Dorothy, had two daughters and a son. They adopted the boy in 1962 after the child, 9 years old and suffering from cerebral palsy, said in a newspaper article that he wanted parents.

President and Mrs. Bush Saddened by Passing of Senator Jesse Helms

Friday,
July 4, 2008

Laura and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our good friend and a great American: Senator Jesse Helms. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Dot, and all the members of the Helms family.

Throughout his long public career, Senator Jesse Helms was a tireless advocate for the people of North Carolina, a stalwart defender of limited government and free enterprise, a fearless defender of a culture of life, and an unwavering champion of those struggling for liberty. Under his leadership, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was a powerful force for freedom. And today, from Central America to Central Europe and beyond, people remember: in the dark days when the forces of tyranny seemed on the rise, Jesse Helms took their side.

Jesse Helms was a kind, decent, and humble man and a passionate defender of what he called "the Miracle of America." So it is fitting that this great patriot left us on the Fourth of July. He was once asked if he had any ambitions beyond the United States Senate. He replied: "The only thing I am running for is the Kingdom of Heaven." Today, Jesse Helms has finished the race, and we pray he finds comfort in the arms of the loving GOD he strove to serve throughout his life.

Transcript provided by The White House.

Additional reporting by Fox News.  




 

 
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