The Washington Post stressed Helms “rode his divisiveness to victory.” The New York Times obituary threw punches, describing him as the senator “whose courtly manner and mossy drawl barely masked a hard-edged conservatism that opposed civil rights, gay rights, foreign aid and modern art.”

The networks were no better. NBC’s Lester Holt blatantly copied the Times: “He staked out firm positions against everything from communism and foreign aid to civil rights and modern art.”

let's recall how Helms was eulogized on the Ed Schultz radio show last year. Fill-in host Norman Goldman said this:

"That race-baiting, racist, horrible Jesse Helms ad got him ahead of Harvey Gantt and got him reelected in 1990. Harvey Gantt would have made a much better senator and Jesse Helms shamelessly played the race card. He was a miserable rat. The world's a better place without him. I hope he's down there in hell roasting with Jerry Falwell."