Kerryism of the Day
The senator's caveats and curlicues.
(For instructions on how to read a Kerryism, click
I've proposed a major expansion of national service programs to strengthen the values of patriotism, community and citizenship. 1 And I believe that we need to make preschool universal so that every child in America gets the best possible start in life. 2 3 4 5 6 7
—Washington, D.C., April 7, 2004
[1] And I believe in them.
[2] But with the deficit worsening each and every day of the Bush administration
[3] with the choices this administration has made
[4] with some $200 billion of expenses already in Iraq
[5] we may have to slow both of those initiatives down
[6] and others
[7] or phase them in over a longer period of time.
Verbatim:
I've proposed a major expansion of national service programs to strengthen the values of patriotism, community and citizenship. And I believe in them. And I believe that we need to make preschool universal so that every child in America gets the best possible start in life. But with the deficit worsening each and every day of the Bush administration, with the choices this administration has made, with some $200 billion of expenses already in Iraq, we may have to slow both of those initiatives and others down or phase them in over a longer period of time.
Got a Kerryism? Send it to kerryisms@slate.com.
Will Saletan covers science, technology, and politics for Slate and says a lot of things that get him in trouble.
Photograph of John Kerry by Marc Serota/Reuters.



Oxford Town, Red Hook, and Every Other Place Bob Dylan’s Ever Sung About, Mapped
New Study Tries, Fails to Show Marijuana Use Is Linked to Crime
Gorgeous Pic of the Ring Nebula Reveals Details of a Star’s Death