Kerryism of the DayThe senator's caveats and curlicues.

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Question: You're going to support $25 billion of emergency spending [for Iraq]. Well, like the $87 billion in the past, will you wait to see how that's going to be funded before you put your final stamp on—

Kerry: I will, obviously. Nobody's going to—^{₁ 2} nobody's going to leave the troops without the things that we need right now.^{₃ 4 5 6 7 8 9}
— Hannity and Colmes, May 13, 2004

[1] if this money is urgent for the troops

[2] legimately

[3] But I want to see exactly what the plan is

[4] and I want to see exactly where the money is going

[5] and how much is needed

[6] in reality

[7] But I'm supportive of the troops

[8] obviously

[9] as are every other American.

Kerry version:

I will, obviously. Nobody's going to—if this money is legitimately urgent for the troops, nobody's going to leave the troops without the things that we need right now. But I want to see exactly what the plan is, and I want to see exactly where the money is going, and how much is, in reality, needed. But I'm obviously supportive of the troops, as are every other American.

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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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  The senator's caveats and curlicues.
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