Goldman urges Democrats not to abandon principle, to realize any taint on mayoral election will only wind-up hurting the city's poorest children

Statement from Paul Goldman to his fellow Democrats:

In 1985, when no other Democrat in the state who looked like me would do it, I took the chief cook and bottle washer position in order to free Virginia of an old politics that denied equal political rights to African-Americans and women, long denied any chance at being elected to statewide office.

I believed then - and I believe now - that Democrats need to champion a political process that is based on merit,is as open and fair and democratic as we can make it.

Clearly, the action taken by a small number of members of the Richmond City Democratic Committee violates - as I show in my official complaint filed this morning - those basic principles, not to mention the rules of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan.

I like Dwight Jones, he is a terrific guy. But life is a lesson in living and learning from your mistakes. Moreover, candidates are generally not informed of all the nitty-gritty details of such things as party plans, and notice requirements. They leave that to staff.

Richmond needs a Mayor who has a proven record of reaching out across racial lines, to bring people together. Thus the next Mayor must be elected in a way that does not make the people of the City think it was through a rigged process, which put the public interest second, and the political interest of the political power-brokers first.

In 1985, it was lonely out there on the front lines of change. The same for 2003 when we freed Richmond from the grasp of a failed and corrupt system of government. At the time, Mr. Jones and most of his key supporters opposed me, one basically comparing me to racist trying to take away the voting rights of African-Americans.

Having been called names before, I didn't worry, as Dr. King says, truth crushed to Earth will rise.

Now, Mr. Jones and my opponents, who were comfortable with the old failed system that denied Richmonders the right to vote for their Mayor, suddenly have had a death-bed conversion and want the job they said was not necessary.

I consider that progress, and worth all the personal abuse.

2008 now presents the next challenge here in Richmond.

In the name of the poor children of Richmond, who stand the most to lose, I urge the RCDC and the Democratic Party to realize that "endorsing" Dwight Jones, given the process used, holds the whole Richmond mayoral election up to ridicule: and in so doing, it will make it harder for Mr. Jones to be the Mayor he needs to be should he be elected.

So in that sense, everyone stands to lose unless principled heads prevail: and the right thing is done.

Reversing the RCDC decision will, admittedly, be unprecedented. It will embarrassing. We have all been there if you have had the guts to stand in the arena and fight for real change.

But it is the right thing to do, indeed the thing Richmond needs Democrats to do right now.