Douglas Alexander: “When Dr. Rice comes back to the committee as Secretary Rice--and she will be there often--I hope she will address these…”

“When Dr. Rice comes back to the committee as Secretary Rice--and she will be there often--I hope she will address these questions and say more about what our objectives are. When she does, I also wouldn't mind if she acknowledges when things aren't going well, or when we need to change our strategy or tactics because our earlier approach is not working. I think such acknowledgments only strengthen the administration's credibility and reassure us that needed adjustments are being made. At President Reagan's funeral last June, former Senator Jack Danforth said the text for his homily was ``the obvious,'' Matthew 5:14-16. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a bushel basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works, and give glory to your father in heaven. From our beginning, that vision of the city on a hill has helped to define what it means to be an American and provided America with a moral mission.”