…and a strong conscience. From Barbara Lee’s Statement on the Passage of the Iraq Accountability Act:

“Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Obey, Jim Clyburn and the Democratic leadership deserve credit for recognizing this and for doing something that the Republican Congress refused to do for the last four years, namely to confront the Bush administration over their failed policy in Iraq and to commit to bringing that policy to a responsible end. That is a very important step.

“As someone who opposed this war from the beginning, I have voted against every single penny for this war and found myself today in the difficult position of having to choose between voting against funding for the war or for establishing timelines to end it.

“While as a matter of conscience I cast my vote against the funding, I hope that this passage of this bill marks the beginning of the end of the Iraq war, but the real fight still lies ahead. Congress will continue to have to confront the issue of this war and occupation, and I am committed to continuing to push to fully fund the safe withdrawal of our troops from Iraq at the earliest practicable date and for timelines for withdrawal that are backed up by the appropriations power that the Constitution grants to Congress.”

Now that is what I call graceful. Representative Lee rocks.  Note to Dems: it IS possible to have both a conscience AND a strong policy.  You ain’t seein’ no flip-floppin’, goin’ where the money is, publicly apologizing for your 1994 health plan, or being against a war you’re fully trusting Bush on — here in Lee’s camp.