I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it

[A18]

They just brought this up on Fox News.

Kerry: I made a mistake in how I talked about the war. The president made a mistake in invading Iraq? Which is worse?

Bush could have finished him IMO if he had rebutted that. He didn't just make a mistake in how he TALKED about the war. Senator, no ones cares how you TALK about the war! The men and women you're complaining about dying don't need you to TALK about the war! They need you to VOTE for the things it takes to WIN the war.

Bush should have shoved that in his face. I think that would have been the memorable moment of the debate.

As it went, the whole thing was a complete wash.

[MODU]

He would have (most likely) if they were allowed to engage each other rather than the moderator.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

They just brought this up on Fox News.

Kerry: I made a mistake in how I talked about the war. The president made a mistake in invading Iraq? Which is worse?

Bush could have finished him IMO if he had rebutted that. He didn't just make a mistake in how he TALKED about the war. Senator, no ones cares how you TALK about the war! The men and women you're complaining about dying don't need you to TALK about the war! They need you to VOTE for the things it takes to WIN the war.

Bush should have shoved that in his face. I think that would have been the memorable moment of the debate.

As it went, the whole thing was a complete wash.

Bush doesn't know how to connect the dots like that.

[afleitch]

Bush shot himself in the foot. His campaign team set up the 'no cross-fire' rules. Kerry called his bluff by answering his questions better than Bush did.

[A18]

So break the rules. It's not like you can throw the president in jail.

I would have chewed him out there. BIG time. On behalf of the troops. You say you DON'T support the war you just admitted made the world safer! What's wrong with making the world safer, senator?!

Now you talk about this administration standing by "failed policies." You're still standing by a vote that, had you had it your way, could have resulted in TEN TIMES AS many deaths. Denounce the vote!

Now, Bush probably would have to be careful not to cross the line. But don't let him slide by like that.

You voted against body armor. Denounce that and then we'll worry about denouncing this failed war that you just say made the world safer!!!

[MODU]

Holbrooke couldn't answer the question about Kerry's Iraq plan.  He talked around it.  And Holbrooke is suppose to be Kerry's foreign policy advisor.

[classical liberal]

So break the rules. It's not like you can throw the president in jail.

I would have chewed him out there. BIG time. On behalf of the troops. You say you DON'T support the war you just admitted made the world safer! What's wrong with making the world safer, senator?!

Now you talk about this administration standing by "failed policies." You're still standing by a vote that, had you had it your way, could have resulted in TEN TIMES AS many deaths. Denounce the vote!

Now, Bush probably would have to be careful not to cross the line. But don't let him slide by like that.

You voted against body armor. Denounce that and then we'll worry about denouncing this failed war that you just say made the world safer!!!

once again, Kerry is 'messing' up in semantics not in substance.

this is starting to piss me off: if Kerry actually clarified his position on the side issues when clarifying his Iraq position this wouldn't be happening, but if he hadn't muddled his position in the first place he wouldn't have 'messed' up so much to begin with.  when Kerry referred to Bush's mistake about the war he was NOT saying that the cause for which our men and women in uniform are sacrificing their lives is a mistake; rather he is saying that the timing of persecution of said cause is unfortunate and the decision to set said time was a mistake on the part of the individual who made that mistake.  however, now that the mistake has been made, it is necesarry to run with it (catching the ball when you're running at the sideline doesn't automatically discount the possibility of a first down, only unfortunately diminishes the it).  he doesn't not support the war, he supports the war with stipulations.  notice that everyone who supports anything supports it with stipulations, thus you can't get pissed off at the existance of stipulations, which with the clarification of Kerry's position becomes the only point of contention.

on the $87 billion, I've said this to you before Phil: voting records, especially in the senate are not applicable to the world off the Hill.  Kerry voted for body armor but not for deficit spending; in my judgement a respectable position, only diminished by his method of remedy for the deficit spending (tax hike instead of offset spending, but that's an entire different rant).  of course you can still be pissed off about it because once again, Kerry is  'messed' up in semantics rather than substance, not explaining his position properly; and it's really starting to piss me off.

[Silent Hunter]

Kerry's unclear Iraq position annoyed me so much I stopped backing him three weeks ago.