North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms passed away today for an undisclosed reason as to his cause of death. He was 86. Helms was conservative and a segregationist. He opposed so many things that he became known as 'Senator No'.

In spite of his opposition to many things not White, American and male; Helms served as a senator for 30 years before he retired in 2003. When his re-election was strongly challenged by Harvey Gantt in 1990, Helms ran the ad below that literally swiftboated Gantt's choice to unseat incumbent, Helms. Gantt was the mayor of Charlotte and black.

Helms opposed funding to assist AIDS victims; he made a very unkind statement about them which he later retracted after meeting and talking with activist Bono.