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"Fifth District Rep. Virgil H. Goode
Jr is a maverick conservative Democrat whose vote Saturday to impeach President
Clinton does not sit well with many in his party. Goode said his vote might
not have been the toughest he has ever cast but was 'certainly the saddest'"
(Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, December 20, 1998).
"'Today is a sad day for Congress, a sad day for the presidency,
and a sad day for America,' said the statement he submitted for the Congressional
Record. Goode, a conservative Blue Dog Democrat, said he believes
Clinton lied under oath and committed impeachable offenses. He voted for
the first three of four proposed articles of impeachment" (Peter
Hardin, Richmond Times Dispatch, December 20, 1998).
"'To me, the issue is not what
the lie was about, but the fact that the president made the choice to lie,
repeatedly, after having taken an oath to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth,' he said in the statement" (Peter
Hardin, Richmond Times Dispatch, December 20, 1998).
"Goode said he made up his mind
to vote for impeachment (last) Thursday night and Friday. He concluded that
Clinton lied under oath to a grand jury and in a federal sexual harassment
suit against him. 'I've come to the conclusion that he made false statements
under oath after having been warned that false statements were subject to
the penalty of perjury,'
he said" (Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, December 20, 1998).
On Tuesday, "Carl U. Eggleston, Democratic chairman for the
5th Congressional District, predicted 'serious trouble' for Goode. If the
nomination were 'tomorrow or next week, I don't see that Mr. Goode would
come up with the numbers,' he said. 'Democrats feel that if Mr. Goode cannot
carry the party's banner up hill, why nominate him?'" (Spencer S.
Hsu, The Washington Post, December 23, 1998).
Asked in an interview "whether
he was afraid Goode would change parties, the Farmville funeral home operator
said, 'a lot of Democrats in the district think that if he wants to carry
the Democratic Party label, then he needs to carry the banner as well. He
pretty much votes Republican anyway. If he wants to be like a Republican,
then go over to the Republican Party'" (Peter Hardin, Richmond
Times Dispatch, December 20, 1998).
"Fluvanna County Democrats wrote
Goode that based on his impeachment votes, 'we will support any viable Democratic
candidate against you'" (Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington Post,
December 23, 1998).
"In Franklin County, where Goode's
wife, Lucy, is party treasurer, the county Democratic chairman, David W.
Talbott, also expressed disaffection. 'We could have understood what he
did if the polls indicated that the majority of the people wanted impeachment,
but that's certainly not the case,' Talbott said. 'Maybe a lot of Democrats
feel that if Virgil Goode were to switch to the Republican Party, it would
settle the issue once and for all'" (Spencer S. Hsu, The
Washington Post, December 23, 1998).
"State Republicans would welcome Goode to their ranks. 'Virgil
Goode cast a principled vote,' district GOP Chairman Tucker C. Watkins said,
'and we always have a place in the Republican Party for principled people'"
(Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington Post, December 23, 1998).
Delegate Paul
Clinton Harris (R-Albemarle County) wrote Goode a letter blasting Democrats
for pressuring him to oppose impeachment. Harris said that 5th District
Democratic officials 'publically have threatened that your political future
could be in jeopardy should you vote to impeach President Clinton. I urge
you not to accede to such crude and discourteous acts of political intimidation,
and implore you vote your conscience - whichever way that may lead you'"
(Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, December
20, 1998).
Delegate Kenneth
R. Plum (D-Fairfax), the state Democratic party chairman, "stayed
carefully neutral on the local dispute while defending one of the state's
six Democratic House members. 'Virgil's right in casting a vote he thought
was right. People are also right to hold him accountable to that vote. I'm
not going to try to prevent either from doing that,' Plum said. 'In the
final analysis, Virgil also casts many good votes for Democrats ... and
I feel very comfortable he's going to stay in the Democratic Party'"
(Spencer S. Hsu, The Washington Post, December 23, 1998).
Nonetheless, Delegate Plum "reacted angrily to the two votes
(by the House) to impeach the President. 'This was a dark day for constitutional
government,' Plum said. 'It was partisanship at its worst.'" (Tyler
Whitley, Richmond Times Dispatch, December 20, 1998).
"Clinton admited what he did was wrong, Plum said, and deserves
censure rather than impeachment" (Tyler Whitley, Richmond Times
Dispatch, December 20, 1998).
"Plum predicted the American people will rise up in wrath against
Republicans, who, he said, have sought to get President Clinton from the
day he was elected in 1992" (Tyler Whitley, Richmond Times Dispatch,
December 20, 1998).
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