Friday May 25 4:43 PM ET

End of Helms' Reign Is Foreign Policy 'Left Turn'

By John Whitesides

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic control of the U.S. Senate will end Jesse Helms' foreign policy reign in Congress, ushering in a new era that promises to be less isolationist and more amenable to international treaties and the United Nations, analysts said on Friday.

Helms, the curmudgeonly North Carolina Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, earned the nickname ``Senator No'' by blocking treaties, nominations or anything else that obstructed his decidedly conservative worldview.

His active ideological agenda, fervent anti-communism and deep distrust of international organizations and many foreign governments made him a hero to American conservatives and a villain to those around the globe who saw him as a symbol of U.S. isolationism.

But with Vermont Sen. James Jeffords' defection from the Republican Party giving Senate control to Democrats, Helms will move into the minority after six years at the head of the committee. A Democrat, most likely Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will step into the chairmanship.

``Internationally, there is a sigh of relief,'' said Clarence Lusane of American University's School of International Service. ''It's a complete left turn, so to speak.''

Biden still must decide whether he wants the chairmanship of Foreign Relations or the Judiciary Committee, although Democratic Senate aides said he appeared headed for Foreign Relations.

But whether the new chairman is Biden or another Democrat, the committee is certain to take a more active role in overseeing President Bush's foreign policy initiatives.

Biden already has leveled strong criticism at the administration over perceived missteps on South Korea and Taiwan. He said earlier this week the panel would likely hold hearings on White House policies on China, Taiwan, Bosnia and ``on a lot of things Bush is just getting a bye on now.''

``It gives Biden a much more authoritative voice with which to criticize the Bush administration,'' said Jack Spencer, an analyst at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Spencer said he expected Democrats to launch an effort to revive the nuclear test ban treaty rejected by the Senate two years ago. Helms blocked hearings on that treaty for years until Republican Senate leaders called Democrats' bluff and brought it to the floor.

HELMS DEVELOPED 'SHADOW' FOREIGN POLICY

Helms, who also held up the chemical weapons treaty until former President Bill Clinton announced a State Department reorganization, used his chairmanship to develop his own ``shadow'' foreign policy during the Clinton administration.

His battles with the United Nations led to a 1999 deal to repay U.S. debts to the world body in return for U.N. reforms, and he co-sponsored legislation with Indiana Republican Dan Burton that invoked economic sanctions to punish foreign businesses that invest in Cuba.

He almost single-handedly killed the nomination of former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, a Republican, as ambassador to Mexico in 1997 because of complaints about Weld's record on drug prosecutions and his support for medical marijuana.

But analysts said much of Helms' effectiveness came from his skill at opposition. With a Republican in the White House, his prominence might have been reduced anyway, they said.

``Helms' role in foreign policy already had started to diminish,'' said Andrew Taylor, a professor of political science at North Carolina State University. ``With a Republican president, he wasn't going to be the bomb-thrower he had been. Once you have your own guy in the White House, you have to be the loyal soldier.''

Helms, who once said it was not safe for Clinton to go to North Carolina, had surprised some observers recently with signs of a more mellow Jesse.

He had a friendly relationship with Madeleine Albright, a former secretary of state and U.N. ambassador, praised the reforms at the United Nations and traveled to Mexico in April for a friendly visit with government officials and new President Vicente Fox after years of blasting the country for corruption and drug trafficking.

Helms, 79, who zooms through Senate hallways on a motorized scooter, has battled a variety of illnesses that have called into question whether he will run for re-election next year.

But Taylor said the pressure from Republican leaders to run again would only grow with Jeffords' switch. ``He is the best hope for Republicans in North Carolina,'' he said.

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