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 also before that a UN ambassador, praised the reforms at the UN 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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