"Perhaps God will take mercy on his soul."
I'm leaning towards the Pink Unicorn giving him a horn enema.
Posted by TIKI AL at July 4, 2008 03:28 PMAs he was my Senator for way too long, I think the only thing I will miss about him is his clarity. Unlike NeoCons, he made no pretense about what where he stood on issues.
I once had a Black friend from up North come down to visit over Christmas break in college. He was raised in the inner city and he was afraid of going South, but I talked him into it. He seemed to have a good time among my family and friends and when we got back to school he remarked, "I liked the South--because at least you know up frontwhen people don't like you. It's very clear. But up here your enemies smile until your back is turned and then they stab you."
I don't know if that is true in any large way, but it makes perfect sense when you talk about Jesse Helms.
Posted by gtash at July 4, 2008 05:13 PMYep, no mystery where you're coming from when you refer to the 64 civil rights bill as the most "dangerous" legislation ever proposed.
Give that horn another twist, Pinky.
Posted by TIKI AL at July 4, 2008 06:31 PMHelms will always be seen as divisive. I'm sure he knew it and was happy with that view. I didn't care for his politics, but unlike those wishy-washy who want unity, I prefer to know where a man stands. I just read a poll that confirms that only 60 percent of Clinton supporters have embraced BOpportunist. And as always the pundits believe that it's a case of disappointment. It's not disappointment, but where the party is heading that we refuse to accept. Give me a divisive person any time and keep the change.
Posted by prabhata at July 4, 2008 06:43 PMThe too many years that Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond lingered in Congress, is a clear indictment of the electorate in the States from which they hailed. We in Texas have Cornyn and Huchinson, so we suck too. Only not as bad.
Posted by Copeland at July 4, 2008 08:19 PMThe folks at DataLounge have some choice comments to say on Jesse's passing.
I really have nothing to add.
Posted by Radiowalla at July 4, 2008 08:45 PMRadiowalla, I would say the folks at DataLounge sure have it right about old Jesse Helms.
Posted by Judith at July 4, 2008 09:10 PMRadiowalla, I linked a piece from Jesse's NC obit found in your link. Definitely says something about Jesse that David Broder couldn't find some nice words to say.
Posted by Mary at July 4, 2008 11:09 PMYou cannot speak of Helms without the comment that along with his racism, he has the dubious distinction of making homosexuals political pariahs in the US for over 30 years. While his racism was always hidden in the garb of attacks on things like "reverse discrimination," he was never as subtle in his hatred of gay people. His vitriolic senatorial campaigns paved the way for divisive politicians ever since.
The legacy of this man is the hatred he has inspired. I have nothing good to say of him
Posted by candideinnc at July 5, 2008 05:15 AM"he was never as subtle in his hatred of gay people."
Sure makes one wonder about good old Jesse, doesn't it.
Posted by Judith at July 5, 2008 05:40 AMRednecks, racists and bigots all over the USA are flying their confederate flags at half-mast.
http://img32.picoodle.com/img/img32/4/7/5/f_Confederatem_0be469d.jpg
A Black man running for President was a bit too much for that lump of coal with a pig valve sewn to it that Jesse called his heart. Damn uppity niggras! I will demonstrate my feelings about his death by viewing some Mapplethorpe images.
Jesse was proof that "conservatism" was nothing more than fascism with an American accent. With his death the world becomes a much better place. Good riddance to the old bastard.
the devil take them all. he's in the Eighth Circle in Hell now:
The last two circles of Hell punish sins that involve conscious fraud or treachery. The circles can be reached only by descending a vast cliff, which Dante and Virgil do on the back of Geryon, a winged monster represented by Dante as having the face of an honest man and a body that ends in a scorpion-like stinger. (Canto XVII)
The fraudulent—those guilty of deliberate, knowing evil—are located in a circle named Malebolge ("Evil Pockets"), divided into ten bolgie, or ditches of stone, with bridges spanning the ditches......
......Corrupt politicians (barrators) are immersed in a lake of boiling pitch, which represents the sticky fingers and dark secrets of their corrupt deals. They are guarded by devils called the Malebranche ("Evil Claws").
Posted by michael72 at July 5, 2008 01:36 PMso Satan finally called Jesse home, is Cheney far behind?
Posted by gay veteran at July 5, 2008 03:57 PMYou guys are tough here. I am not sorry that he is meeting his maker, but I think a bit more compassion is in order.
well, we've done what we can about racism here in the south, but when you come right down to it, for some people, we're just waiting for them to die. in their case, that's the cure for racism - they'll no longer be here. jesse helms was one of those people.
Posted by campskunk at July 6, 2008 08:03 PMOur site takes a somewhat unbalanced view of the good Senator, and the coincidence of of the 4th of July passing. Yours is a little more charitable. Thanks for adding your comment to the blogging universe.