More Appreciation for Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA)

While I find myself frequently disagreeing with him, I’ve got a lot of respect for Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). Unlike his Democratic colleague Mark Warner, Jim Webb appears to be willing to stand on principles and decency, the popularity of it be damned:

Jim Webb, a Democratic senator from Virginia, arrived in Burma this afternoon, days after the country’s junta sentenced the pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to 18 months’ house arrest.

Webb, who served in the Reagan administration but is now considered a close ally of Barack Obama, is expected to meet the country’s leader, Senior General Than Shwe, in the country’s remote capital Naypyidaw, tomorrow.

The outcome of his visit – part of a five-nation tour of Asia – is expected to influence the White House as it considers new approaches to the problem of Burma’s appalling record on human rights.

Good luck, Sen. Webb. And good luck, Burma.