Wherever Jesse Helms is now, it's probably a bit too integrated

Remember all that talk about the Republican Party expanding their increasingly shrinking tent and going after the black and Hispanic vote? That mostly meant having a gospel choir behind each speaker at their national conventions in 2000 and 2004. Maybe now that Jesse Helms has gone to that big tobacco subsidy in the sky, the task will be easier. Though, then again, maybe not.

Though some Republican leaders seemed to avoid having to comment at all, others tried to thread the needle and find something nice to say about Helms, like "he sure loved his grandkids," which is something that's pretty much only said about racists. But many just decided to screw the big tent philosophy (not a great year for it anyway) and embrace Jesse.

As the Helms family, and his beloved grandkids, to whom he was apparently very nice, lay him to rest today, we present Jesse in his own words, along with statements about him by leading Republicans...