ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997 TAG: 9701080044
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
SUPPORTERS threw Virgil Goode a party in his office, right beside the famous desk and tree-stump chair.
Room 1520 of the Longworth Congressional office building couldn't hold them.
Virgil Goode's people - black and white, young and old - came from all over Southside Virginia Tuesday to check out his new digs on Capitol Hill and throw a party that completely took over the section of the building Goode shares with several other members of Congress.
There were so many people here to see Goode that a woman leaned her head out of the office next to his - occupied by freshman Rep. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. - and asked: "Who in the world is drawing that crowd?"
Yes, Mr. Goode has gone to Washington.
Forget that Goode had to get over to the Capitol to be sworn in on his first day in Congress (he made it there), and forget that important vote he had to take on the reappointment of Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House (Goode voted for Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, a fellow Democrat).
First, Goode had to somehow appease the 250 people who came to see him.
People grabbed him. People snuggled up close to him for a picture. Television reporters from around the state - drawn by the commotion - tried to fight their way through the gantlet to grab an interview.
Goode, as always, was cool as a cucumber.
"I'm really happy everyone came," he said later in his typical laid-back fashion.
A few beads of sweat on his forehead were the only sign that he was fazed at all by the crowd that surrounded him.
He smiled, posed for pictures and even took time to tell a Richmond TV reporter that he would not be supporting Gingrich.
Goode then hot-footed it over to the House of Representatives for the day's business.
The party at his office continued.
Anyone who doubts the stories about Goode's popularity in Southside should have witnessed it.
Three busloads of Franklin Countians paid $30 a pop to make the trip to Washington and didn't even get to see the swearing-in ceremony. They had to leave before it took place because the ceremony was delayed by the battle over Gingrich's appointment.
No one seemed bothered.
"We know he's here," Ferrum dairy farmer Mark Newbill said.
Goode's people enjoyed the trip as much as their short stay in Washington.
There were plenty of stories about their new congressman, including this laugh-getter, told over the bus intercom by one of Goode's most ardent supporters, Nelson Amos of Penhook:
Amos said he went to see Goode, then a state senator, in Richmond several years ago. Goode had been invited to a swanky lobbyist reception that night, and he asked Amos if he wanted to go along.
"Now Virgil really didn't want to go, but he felt like he had to. When we got there, I thought I was at the ABC store, even though I later found out that it wasn't."
Amos said he and Goode found their way to the bar to get something to drink.
"I asked the bartender what they had, and he said they had anything we wanted," Amos recalled. "So Virgil asked for milk, and I asked for a Dr Pepper - neither one of us drinks, you know - and the bartender looked at us and said, `Well, we don't have that.'''
Brenda Robertson, one of Goode's neighbors in Rocky Mount, said she was amazed recently to find Goode sitting on top of his roof, fixing it.
"He does everything himself," Robertson said. "And he brings me a box of fruit every Christmas."
Goode, who's become known over the years for his maverick call-it-as-he-sees-it philosophy, will now see if his unique style will fly on the national stage.
Several of his supporters talked about the differences between Richmond and Washington on the bus trip.
Said Amos: "Washington isn't going to change Virgil. If the other 434 members of the House were like him, we'd be all right. There wouldn't be any investigations like Newt Gingrich's."
There's already one sure sign that Goode plans to stay the course. He brought his trademark state Senate office furniture - a chair fashioned out of a tree stump and a small weathered desk - with him to Washington.
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY STAFF. Virgil Goode takes time to giveby CNBdirections; meanwhile, in his office, more than 250 supporters throw
a party for his first day. color.