HOME /  Kerryisms :  The senator's caveats and curlicues.

Kerryism of the Day

The senator's caveats and curlicues.

By |Posted Thursday, June 10, 2004, at 3:08 PM

What did he say?
What did he say?

(For instructions on how to read a Kerryism, click here.)

Question: You once opposed mandatory sentences for people convicted of drug crimes.

Kerry: Yeah 1. There may have been an individual instance where I thought they were too long or didn't make sense. 2 3
—Time, Feb. 9, 2004

[1] but I voted for them later on

[2] But I've voted for mandatory minimums

[3] in certain instances.

Kerry version:

Yeah, but I voted for them later on. There may have been an individual instance where I thought they were too long or didn't make sense. But I've voted for mandatory minimums in certain instances.

Got a Kerryism? Send it to kerryisms@slate.com.

MYSLATE
MySlate is a new tool that lets you track your favorite parts of Slate. You can follow authors and sections, track comment threads you're interested in, and more.
SLATE'S MOST VIRAL

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.