Kerryism of the DayThe senator's caveats and curlicues.

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We have to change the one-size-fits-all testing mentality so we're not changing—^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10}.

—Portland, Ore., May 25, 2004

[1] uh, now, let me be clear about where I'm coming from on education. I believe we have to continue down the road of reform

[2] because I want no misunderstanding

[3] And I am not talking about undoing any standards.

[4] I'm not talking about not measuring.

[5] I'm not talking about not testing.

[6] I'm talking about doing it in a way that respects teaching, respects education

[7] and knows how to put discretion into a system

[8] that advances it through respect, doesn't drag it backwards

[9] and downwards

[10] through punitive, disrespectful actions

Kerry version:

We have to change the one-size-fits-all testing mentality so we're not changing—uh, now, let me be clear, because I want no misunderstanding about where I'm coming from on education. I believe we have to continue down the road of reform. And I am not talking about undoing any standards. I'm not talking about not measuring. I'm not talking about not testing. I'm talking about doing it in a way that respects teaching, respects education, and knows how to put discretion into a system that advances it through respect, doesn't drag it backwards and downwards through punitive, disrespectful actions.

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William Saletan is Slate's national correspondent and author of Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War. Follow him on Twitter here.

Photograph of John Kerry by Marc Serota/Reuters.

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