Difference between revisions of "Jesse Helms"

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Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. (b October 18, 1921) is a former five-time Republican senator from Monroe, North Carolina. ^[1] Helms' parents were Jesse Helms Sr., the local chief of police, and his wife Ethel Mae Helms. ^[2] Mr. Helms, throughout his tenure as United States Senator was known for his conservative viewpoints, support for a strong defense, individual rights, the oppressed, and support for freedom. Like most conservative politicians who escew political correctness, Helms was frequently the target of mainstream media bias, despite his former career in the media ^[3]. Helms was a staunch advocate for equality under law, but due to his Southern background and incorrect party affiliation, his positions were misrepresrented through typically biased reporting. ^[4]. While Helms can be called an Internationalist, his support can be understood more in terms of Western military alliances that strengthened US Security such as NATO as opposed to organizations such as the UN ^[5].

Early Life

Education

Mr. Helms attended public schools in his home, Monroe County. After graduating from high school, Mr. Helms attended Wingate Junior College and Wake Forest College.

Pre-World War II Journalist

Like President Ronald Reagan, Mr. Helms started his political career in the media. In 1939, Mr. Helms quit Wake Forest to work as a journalist on the Raleigh News and Observer. By the age of 21 Mr. Helms managed one of the paper's smaller papers. ^[6]

Military Career

During World War II, Mr. Helms was drafted into the Navy as a recruiter. It was during his military career that Helms discovered his knack for broadcasting.

WRAL Radio and AA to Senator Willis Smith

In 1948, became a radio news director at WRAL in Raleigh, NC. Helms reported on the heated 1950 Democratic primary for the Senate. Another ad featured photographs Helms himself had doctored to illustrate the allegation that Graham's wife had danced with a black man. The winner of this race, Senator Willis Smith, took him to Washington as his administrative assistant a post at which he served until 1953 staying on to become Senator Alton Lennon's assistant after Smith's untimely demise^[7]. Willis, like Helms was a conservative Southern Democrat ^[8]. Willis's defeated opponent, the liberal Frank Porter Graham was appointed by his supporter President Harry Truman as Ambassador to the United Nations^[9]. During his tenure in Washington Mr. Helms also worked on the unsuccessful Democratic primary presidential campaign of Richard B. Russell, Jr.

Bankers Association to Capital Broadcasting

Helms early work in politics lead him to become the Executive director of the North Carolina Bankers Association and later the Raleigh City Council where he opposed excessive taxation and supported limiting the growth of government^[10]. By the mid-1960's, Helms became the executive Vice President for Capitol Broadcasting in Raleigh, NC. Mr. Helms directed the news operation and delivered over-the-air commentaries. Mr. Helms developed a following due to his firebrand but perceptive political commentary ^[11] which often attacked the decline of morality, liberal trends in society of the time, the Federal government's dubious social engineering in the southern states and Judicial activism ^[12].

Senate Career

Democrat to Republican

In 1970, Helms left the Democratic party, which was far more popular in the South as a whole, for the Republican party, which had been the catalyst in the war of Northern Aggression a century before. Guided, in part, by the moderate Republican policies of candidate Richard M. Nixon, Mr. Helms lead a victorious campaign against his opponent, Democrat Nick Galifianakis. Mr. Helms's campaign succeeded in associating Galifiankis with liberal presidential candidate George McGovern.

Senator No

Mr. Helms' opposition to increasing the role of the federal government in the lives of every day citizens earned him the title "Senator No". From his first term to his last Mr. Helms rejected nominations of unqualified liberal candidates, against federal spending (except his very principaled stance for the millitary and economically and strategically sound support for federal aid for farmers), ^[13]. Helms supported and befriended qualified candidates regardless of party affiliation whom he felt would better the country, such as Madeline Albright for US Ambassador to the United Nations and later Secretary of State (ref: Madam Secretary, Madeline Albright). Helms was known for his bipartisan friendships despite ideological differences. However, Helms was broadminded and tolerant of contrary views, and unafraid to be proven in error. For instance Helms originally stood against increased funding to stop the devastation caused by AIDS in Africa. Helms change of heart on this issue in his own words: "It had been my feeling that AIDS was a disease largely spread by reckless and voluntary sexual and drug-abusing behavior, and that it would probably be confined to those in high risk populations. I was wrong."^{[Citation Needed]}

Standing on principal

Helms challenged the Republican party to engage the socially and economically conservative values of the American People. Helms's conservative values won him a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union for the entire last decade he was in office and never more than 10% according to similar liberal groups. Terry O'Neill -- of the far left feminist group, the National Organization for Women -- on hearing of Helms ill health and planned retirement reacted gleefully with the statement "It's a very good thing for the country that he's leaving the Senate."

Helms stated his disbelief in the old adage that "morality cannot be legislated". Helms took an active role in campaigning and in helping the Republican party to engage these values. First in his early work for Smith, then locally and eventually in early 1980 played a key role in helping the father of modern conservative, Ronald Reagan, win the Republican primary and take the White House back from the liberal president Jimmy Carter. Helms's political action committee spent over $4.6 million dollars to help Reagan capture the white house ^[14]. Until recently, when Helms became incapacitated, in his home state of North Carolina few Conservative Republican candidates would run for state or national office without an endorsement from Helms.

Foreign Policy

Helms believed that America should stand against dictators and help bring its values of freedom and democracy to the world. This belief caused Helms to stand against "Most Favored Nation" status for China (which the Reagan and Nixon Administrations supported). At the same time, Helms stood for a strong national defense and strongly opposed Communism and would occasionally compromise on the humanitarian part of his policy when it suited those aims, such was the case in his support for the dictator Augusto Pinochet. ^[15] Helms also stood up against arms control and nuclear test-ban treaties even when some of these measures were supported by Reagan himself ^[16].

Liberal smears

Some in the liberal media have questioned Helms' integrity, largely due to his standing against Affirmative Action programs and quotas and secondly for his opposition to many liberal appointees for federal office ^[17]. Mr. Helms stated in his biography he has stood up for candidates in the jobs for which they were qualified. He has opposed liberal and unqualified candidates in posts for which they were not qualified. The record shows Helms enthusiastically supported African American candidates Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, Claude Allen, and Condoleezza Rice, as well as other well qualified candidates for the positions in which they were appointed. ^[18].

Humanitarian

Jesse Helms continued to work on his humanitarian causes after leaving office until he became incapacitated. Since then others continue his work in his name. His approach encourages individual and organization charity rather than government intervention. ^[19]

Summary

Helms and his conservative values can be summed up in his own words: "Compromise, hell!" Helms said. "That's what has happened to us all down the line -- and that's the very cause of our woes." ^[20]

References

1. ↑ http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000463
2. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms
3. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/biography.asp
4. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#handsad
5. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#fic1
6. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms
7. ↑ http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000463
8. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms
9. ↑ http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=g000353
10. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms
11. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/biography.asp
12. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms
13. ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms
14. ↑ http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm
15. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/principles/default.asp
16. ↑ http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm
17. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#fic2
18. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#fic5
19. ↑ http://www.jessehelmscenter.org
20. ↑ http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm