After reading over the coverage of Jesse Helms' passing on a prominent conservative blog, it seems apt to quote Sean Connery in Goldfinger, and say that it is "shocking, positively shocking" that the conservative movement has trouble winning over black voters.
Anyway, the two best Helms stories remain:
Soon after the Senate vote on the Confederate flag insignia, Sen. Jesse Helms (R.-N.C.) ran into [African-American Illinois Senator Carol] Mosely-Braun in a Capitol elevator. Helms turned to his friend, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah), and said, "Watch me make her cry. I'm going to make her cry. I'm going to sing 'Dixie' until she cries." He then proceeded to sing the song about "the good life" during slavery to Mosely-Braun.
And, from a Senate hearing:
Secretary of State Warren Christopher: Our support for President Aristide is based upon the fact that he won a democratic election in Haiti, which was certified to be an open and free--
Helms: So did Hitler!
Christopher: --with about 70 percent of the votes and--
Helms: So did Hitler.
--Isaac Chotiner