I will tell you this: on nominations or on amendments that I have offered, without fail I have one or more senators who will come in the cloakroom and say, "Jess, that was great and I wish I could have voted for it. I say, "Well, why didn't you vote for it?" Their excuse: "The media would have given me hell back home." I tell them "Well, what do you think they do to me?"
Jesse Helms
Jesse Helms was first called “Senator No” in a North Carolina newspaper and the name stuck on Capitol Hill. The Senator often took unpopular positions and was not afraid of the criticism that followed. Many times in his career, a Senate vote would take place where he was on the losing end of a lopsided vote. His conservative principles and ideology were a part of the foundation upon which his voting record was built. He was not afraid to go on record with the American people and he wanted to make sure that they knew exactly how his fellow Senators had voted. Those lopsided votes looked like defeats to some people but they were actually a part of a winning strategy that led to more conservative government policies.
To learn more about why Senator Helms welcomed being known as Senator No, click on the following link and get an exclusive look inside Here's Where I Stand.
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