Kerryism of the DayThe senator's caveats and curlicues.

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Question: Sen. Kerry, your campaign and you were demanding to know whether President Bush had read this National Intelligence Estimate before committing to go to war with Iraq, and it turns out that your staff admitted that you didn't read it either.

Kerry: I've seen several National Intelligence Estimates.^{₁ 2 3 4}

—Imus in the Morning, July 15, 2004

[1] I don't know what they're referring to.

[2] I'm not sure what they're referring to.

[3] I've seen a number of National Intelligence Estimates

[4] over the course of my Senate career

Verbatim:

I've seen several National Intelligence Estimates. I don't know what they're referring to. I'm not sure what they're referring to. I've seen, over the course of my Senate career, a number of National Intelligence Estimates.

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

Photograph of John Kerry by Luke Frazza/Agence France-Presse.

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  The senator's caveats and curlicues.
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