The GOP's true face

Matthew Yglesias points out what the reaction to Helms' death tells us about the Republican Party of 2008:

One might expect that Helms' death would prompt from conservatives the sorts of things that I might say if, say, Al Sharpton died -- that he and I had some overlapping beliefs and I don't regard him as the world-historical villain that the right does, but that he's a problematic guy and I regard him and his methods as pretty marginal to American liberalism. But instead conservatives are taking a line that I might have regarded as an unfair smear just a week ago, and saying that Helms is a brilliant exemplar of the American conservative movement.

And before our conservative friends come up with the knee-jerk "But what about Robert Byrd and the Klan?" line, bear in mind that Byrd's membership in that group was over 50 years ago. Byrd has repeatedly apologized, calls it the biggest mistake of life and you'll find no shortage of figures on the Left who find the fact troublesome.

Helms, on the other hand, continued with his racist ways until his retirement in 2003, remained unapologetic and proud of these views and was never called on any of them by the rightwing.

And when Byrd passes, the KKK will be discussed by Democrats when evaluating Byrd's life. Helms is simply being hailed as a hero and patriot by the Republicans with no questions asked.

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Helms may be gone, but those craving his disgusting (lack of) values need look no further than John McCain's circle of friends:

Republican strategist Charlie Black, perhaps the most prominent member of McCain’s political inner circle (especially since he suggested that a terrorist attack on the U.S. would benefit the Republican’s prospects this fall), advised Helms throughout much of the senator’s career and played a particularly central role in the 1990 campaign, according to contemporary media accounts.

When the “White Hands” ad stirred a national controversy, Black appeared on the PBS’s Newshour to defend it. Democratic National Committee chairman Ron Brown, who was also on the show, said to Black: “You are a principal adviser of Jesse Helms. Would you advise him to run that kind of ad, Charlie? Do you approve of that ad, Charlie?”

Black replied, “I advised Jesse Helms to do what he’s always done.”