Jesse Helms did some horrible things. Ted Kennedy did some horrible things. Jesse Helms was committed to what he believed in. Ted Kennedy was committed to what he believed in. Jesse Helms worked his ass off for his constituents' views to have a voice. Ted Kennedy worked his ass off for his constituents' views to have a voice. Jesse Helms has numerous accomplishments to be proud of. Ted Kennedy has numerous accomplishments to be proud of. We all need to be fair to these men if we are going to continue to have valid arguments. Hypocrisy is not respected.
Follow that line of reasoning and soon you'll say that it's wrong to condemn Hitler, Stalin and an entire host of bloodthirsty maniacs on the basis that to do so would be hypocritical. Moral relativism and empty politeness are the death of honest debate.
Regardless, you're quite wrong to claim that Kennedy (for all his undoubted flaws, and do please not that I never exactly liked the man) sits (or sat) on the same moral level as Helms. Helms was a vicious, open and cynical racist, a corrupt bully, an xenophobic bigot and a hypocritical coward. I am, as it happens, being entirely fair to the man. Perhaps too fair - I somehow managed to avoid using words like "fascist" and "nazi". Unkind people might look at your apparent liking of him and wonder whether your claims of "moderation" are as shallow and as false as the political "beliefs" of most of the other young 'uns here.
