Two Republican senators say North Carolina’s Jesse Helms might grant a Foreign Relations Committee hearing for former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld in his bid to become U.S. ambassador to Mexico.
Sen. James Imhofe of Oklahoma said Sunday on ABC-TV that while he has doubts about Weld’s qualifications, he thinks Helms probably would prefer to call a hearing than risk being outmaneuvered.
The second-ranking Republican on the committee, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, told ABC that he was willing to join an attempt to circumvent Helms.
“In due course, Gov. Weld needs to be heard,” Lugar said. “I will try to play a role to see he does have a hearing and we can find out what he thinks about drugs, about Mexico.”
The fight over Weld has plenty of voters in Massachusetts hopping mad.
While they are accustomed to hearing their Sen. Edward Kennedy portrayed as a wine-drinking, woman-chasing, tax-raising symbol of undisciplined liberal Democratic politics, they don’t think much of Helms.
“Helms says some crazy things — about AIDS and wanting to quarantine people,” said Chris Wilder, 26, a Republican and restaurant owner in Boston’s financial district. “He’s way out there on the radical fringe.”
Republican Helms offended a local son when he said the former governor — a Republican popular in Boston for his views toward taxpayers and libertarian views on personal freedom — isn’t serious enough to represent the United States in Mexico.
Once rarely mentioned in Boston, Helms, the conservative Monroe native dominates the talk on Boston radio, TV and newspapers.
It’s a battle that pits the wily Southern conservative against the wealthy Boston Brahmin.
Helms says he doesn’t like Weld’s view about legalizing marijuana for medical treatment. But many close to Helms say privately that the senator is still steamed about a remark Weld made while running for the Senate last year. Weld said he wasn’t sure he could support Helms as Foreign Relations chairman.
While it might be fashionable among Bay Staters to bash Helms, not all do. But they’re keeping their opinions — and their identities — to themselves.
“Helms is one of the last great Americans,” said the owner of a Democratic bar frequented by the Kennedys in a working-class Boston neighborhood. “I just can’t say that publicly.”
