For the Nth time - Kerry/Edwards did NOT vote "for the war."

[Stevendsmith]

Chris Matthews keeps saying this, and he knows better.

[Lex]

1. Yes, he does know better, but he keeps it up.

Chris is either stupid or evil. I say evil.

[w4rma]

3. Tweety is a well-paid propagandist and a con-artist. (nt)

[lanparty]

2. Yes but denying that statement ...

... would feed into the flip/flopper line.

But I think the Democrats are effectively defusing this issue by pointing out Bush's countless flip/flops.

[xrepub]

4. He did not vote for the war

Nevertheless, many people, even intelligent ones, even Dems believe that he did. It seems so clear to me, yet I find people whose opinions I respect thinking otherwise.

[tjdee]

5. "We gave them the keys to the car, and they drove it into a ditch."

That's ALL K/E have to say, and they NEVER SAY IT.

All they have to do is say you know, we put our faith in the American president to exhaust all avenues, and he did not. And he LIED to us, to boot.

Short, sweet.

And as long as they fail to say it, this crap with the media will continue.

[wtmusic]

6. Gwen Ifill even parroted the line

is every bit of nonsense the GOP spews accepted as gospel until proven otherwise?

[George_S]

7. Why the hell...

... don't Kerry and Edward dig out the words from when the voted on the resolution?

So simple, but they DON'T DO IT!

Why not?

[jackstraw45]

8. I wish Edwards was better prepared to respond to that lie

He could have forcefully and FINALLY demolished that myth.

He and Kerry voted for the AUTHORITY for the President to use JUDGEMENT to go to war.

Bush used TERRIBLE judgement and rushed us to war.

The vote was a vote of TRUST in our president and he FAILED us and lied to us.

How hard is it to explain something that's the truth?

[Joe Turner]

9. This is one point that has to be made crystal clear

We all know, and Kerry has said on many occasions, that the vote on the war was only to give the president the “authority” to go to war if the president finds such course necessary as the "last resort" after other avenues to avert war were exhausted. Of course, Shrub wanted to impulsively invade Iraq as a FIRST resort and make up the rationales later.

I really don't think any senator thought that they were handing a blank check to Shrub to do whatever he pleased with that vote, which is what exactly he did.

I think this point needs some more hammering by Kerry. I don't know how many times he has to say it, but apparently ShrubCo feels they can characterize the “right” to use force as a declaration of war. It’s not and the truth is getting lost here.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. Kerry/Edwards Campaign explained this to Chris Matthews!

Actually, Matthews asked Kerry/Edwards Campaign manager Joe Lockhart about this during the post-debate coverage and Joe pointed this out to him and Matthews shut up.

[Generator]

11. Yes and goddamn it all I want someone to say just once

John F. Kerry did not take this nation to Iraq. He didn't start this war. He hasn't run this war with mistake after mistake after bad decision based on ideology that they "will throw flowers at us" and this many troops is enough no matter what happens.

This is Cheney and his co-commander's war. Bush and all those he has let run it into ruin are responsible.

That vote for authority is not the reason for everything has happened since. It's absurd logic and I'm sick of it.

John Kerry is not responsible for the war in Iraq. George W. Bush is.