Yes to Senator No

THEY called him “Mr. Conservative,” after Barry Goldwater relinquished the title. They called him a lot of other names, too-one was “Senator No.” Today, he says, “I was tempted to send a thank-you note to the newspaper that first called me that. I enjoyed being known as ‘Senator No’because it summed up my purpose in helping to stop a lot of bad government policies and proposed laws.”

That answer is pure Jesse Helms. He is talking by e-mail from his office in Raleigh. He retired from the Senate in 2003, after 30 years there.

About the Author

Jay Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger was a senior editor of National Review and a book fellow at National Review Institute.

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THEY called him “Mr. Conservative,” after Barry Goldwater relinquished the title. They called him a lot of other names, too-one was “Senator No.” Today, he says, “I was tempted to send a thank-you note to the newspaper that first called me that. I enjoyed being known as ‘Senator No’because it summed up my purpose in helping to stop a lot of bad government policies and proposed laws.”

That answer is pure Jesse Helms. He is talking by e-mail from his office in Raleigh. He retired from the Senate in 2003, after 30 years there.