Jesse Helms, no principles; L.F. Eason, principles — where are national Democrats?

Eason, a 29-year employee with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, resigned his $65K job rather than fly a flag at half-staff to commemorate Jesse Helms:

“Regardless of any executive proclamation, I do not want the flags at the North Carolina Standards Laboratory flown at half staff to honor Jesse Helms any time this week,” Eason wrote just after midnight, according to e-mail messages released in response to a public records request.

He told his staff that he did not think it was appropriate to honor Helms because of his "doctrine of negativity, hate, and prejudice" and his opposition to civil rights bills and the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Kind of a nice contrast to top national Democrats who sat on their lips after Helms’ death while the right-wing hagiography machine worked overtime.

Update: Michael Lind attempt to do a neolib rehabilitation of Helms. And fails.