[whmatthews]

http://www.wral.com/news/local/politics/story/1755723/

Raleigh, N.C. — Jesse Helms, the firebrand U.S. senator whose outspoken, conservative views polarized North Carolina and U.S. voters for decades, died at 1:15 a.m. Friday in Raleigh, according to John Dodd, president of the Jesse Helms Center.

He joins the second and third presidents of the United States – Thomas Jefferson and John Adams Jr. – who both also died on Independence Day.

He was 86. His cause of death was not released. Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming, Dodd said.

[Sly Fox]

Talk about your lightning rods. Helms clearly had his issues with racism early in his career. But he was a leader of the Conservative movement for nearly a half century.

And not to be crass, but I think we can safely identify his age as at least a partial cause of death.

[Cider Jim]

And, of course, LU's School of Government is named after the late Senator Helms.

http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=169

Also, Mr. Jefferson died 50 years to the day signing the Declaration of Independence.

[Fumblerooskies]

as did the 2nd President of the US, John Adams.

[Cider Jim]

...both died July 4th, 1826.