LarryK:

1. I have only had one position on Iraq

A recent study has shown that Kerry's position on Iraq has in fact been consistent all along. This position was the following: The president should have had the authorization to use force, so that he could use it as leverage to get other countries on our side and continue the weapons inspections. His vote for authorization was never a "vote for the war." It was a vote to give Bush leverage, which Bush claimed he would use in a certain way, and then didn't. Kerry's vote on the 87 billion dollars was also consistent. He voted for a version of the bill that took the money out of the tax cuts for people making more than $300,000 a year. The Republicans quashed that version of the bill in favor of one that just added to the deficit. Kerry voted against that. These are not contradictory positions. The Republicans have simply been twisting his words by claiming that his vote for authorization was a "vote for the war" and that his later criticism of the war contradicted that vote.

2. 90% of the casulties in Iraq were USA (if we don't count the 750 Iraq soldiers killed fighting side by side with us)

Kerry was obviously referring here to Bush's claims to have put together a viable "coalition of the willing." Iraq does not count as a member of this "coalition," since it had no choice but to join. Of the members of this so-called coalition, 90% of the casualties have indeed been American. What this means is that Bush invaded Iraq essentially on his own, with very little support from other countries, a fact that the Bush administration has medaciously denied over and over.

3. The USA is spending 200 billion on Iraq which could be used for healthcare (budget has 120 billion for Iraq and 80 billion for Afganastan- has not been spent yet)

Uh, so what? I do my department's budgets at work. If I say "we're spending 100,000 on artists' fees," this means in the current fiscal year, and depending on when we are in the year, most of that money may not be spent yet. This fiscal year just began in July, so most of my budget right now is not spent, but i would still express it by saying "we're spending...." This is simply the convention when talking about budgets. If I speak about last year, I say "we spent 100, 000 last year."

As for the precise numbers, the budget does not tell the whole story. Obviously, we spent much more on Iraq than budgeted in the past few years. Kerry may be working with estimates of actual spending--remember, he is a Senator and has information you don't. More likely, he just made a mistake and combined the figures from Afghanistan and Iraq, hardly a damning lie!

4. The "I voted for line before I voted against it" was said late at night when I was tired- on katie couric yesterday (it was actually said at a luncheon between noon and 1)
When did Kerry make this claim about it being late at night? What evidence do you have of the time at which it was actually said? Can you find any links to substantiate these claims?

5.   I got this tan windsurfing.   (ha ha ha- it is his new carrot diet or a delayed reaction to agent orange when he was in vietnam)

I presume this is just a joke. Kerry is, in fact, an accomplished windsurfer and skier.