I think what Kerry meant to say was...

[dave123williams]

Not that the invasion should have passed the 'global test', but that the invasion should have passed the 'global SMELL test'.

[mitchtv]

1. that's what I was thinking

then he held his tongue.

[HFishbine]

2. He was perfectly clear.

There's only a question if you take a few words out of context.

LEHRER: New question. Two minutes, Senator Kerry.

What is your position on the whole concept of preemptive war?

KERRY: The president always has the right, and always has had the right, for preemptive strike. That was a great doctrine throughout the Cold War. And it was always one of the things we argued about with respect to arms control.

No president, though all of American history, has ever ceded, and nor would I, the right to preempt in any way necessary to protect the United States of America.

But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons.

Here we have our own secretary of state who has had to apologize to the world for the presentation he made to the United Nations.

I mean, we can remember when President Kennedy in the Cuban missile crisis sent his secretary of state to Paris to meet with DeGaulle. And in the middle of the discussion, to tell them about the missiles in Cuba, he said, "Here, let me show you the photos." And DeGaulle waved them off and said, "No, no, no, no. The word of the president of the United States is good enough for me."

How many leaders in the world today would respond to us, as a result of what we've done, in that way? So what is at test here is the credibility of the United States of America and how we lead the world. And Iran and Iraq are now more dangerous -- Iran and North Korea are now more dangerous.

Now, whether preemption is ultimately what has to happen, I don't know yet. But I'll tell you this: As president, I'll never take my eye off that ball. I've been fighting for proliferation the entire time -- anti-proliferation the entire time I've been in the Congress. And we've watched this president actually turn away from some of the treaties that were on the table.

[gWbush is Mabus]

3. it made perfect sense to me when he said it

i was laughing at bush who said
"i don't understand what this test is"

like chevy chase on SNL, "i was told there would be no test (math) involved"

[Peachhead22]

4. I would have preferred

He would've called it a "common sense test".

i.e-Is this really the best idea, is there a better way? Will it look to the world like I'm just conquering and occupying rather than protecting my people and liberating others? What's my exit strategy? What does 'winning' look like? Can we get there from here?