| John Bason picks up the final episode with a questions about Helms’ opinion of President Bill Clinton. While Senator Helms feels that President Clinton was weak in personal areas, he thinks he is a great speaker and very personable. Senator Helms talks about a comment he made about President Clinton’s visit to North Carolina, Clinton’s impeachment trial and his views on and admiration for Madeline Albright.
Senator Helms admits that he has often disagreed with the State Department’s policies and is openly critical of their membership. He also criticizes foreign aid, which he states does not typically go to the people of a country, but to the leadership. He also expresses his views on the end of Apartheid in South Africa and his support of military governments in South Africa.
Senator Helms was instrumental in the passage of the Cuban embargo and does not see it as unnecessarily interfering in another country’s business practices. While he feels that countries that transition from communism to capitalism should do so, for the most part, with little interference, he feels that the U.S. should help bring stability during the transition.
Although he has included minorities in his office and has wonderful friendships with many of the black Congressmen, Senator Helms admits to standing against some of the protests in the Civil Rights movement, including the Greensboro sit-in, which he felt interfered with free enterprise.
Senator Helms also shares his views on the restrictions on smoking and tobacco use, the bias of the press and some of the prominent court decisions, including Roe vs. Wade. He also talks about his relationship with and views of Senator John Edwards, who he says has negated many of his votes but whom he admires.
He also discusses his restrictions on supporting funding for the arts and his views on homosexuality and federal discrimination laws, which he states interferes with the way business owners run their businesses.
While he has never actively pursued diverse groups and admits that he often stirs people’s viewpoints, he genuinely likes people and is quite charming and gentile in person. He also states that he has never wavered from his view to support young people.
He closes the series talking about what he will do after he finally retires and says he misses his church in North Carolina and his job at WRAL. He considers himself lucky to have enjoyed all of his jobs and to have had the opportunity to meet Reverend Billy Graham in person, but he says he will not miss Washington.
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