Conservative politician Jesse Helms has died at the age of 86. The cause of death was not announced, but he had been in poor health in recent years. Upon hearing of his death, President Bush said of Helms, “Sen. Helms has been a tireless defender of our nation’s freedom and a champion of democracy abroad.” Helms was a North Carolina Republican who was considered by many to be a conservative icon. He himself was once quoted as saying his job was to “derail the freight train of liberalism.” Helms started out in his career as a sports reporter for the … Continue reading →