Their Words, and Then the Facts

President Bush

Statement: "The fellow I'm running against has proposed over $2 trillion of new federal spending so far

Context: The Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, proposes a health insurance plan that would cost $653 billion over 10 years, by the reckoning of a former Clinton administration health expert.

Bush campaign aides, citing a conservative think tank, say the Kerry plan would cost $1.5 trillion; adding other Democratic proposals, they arrive at $2 trillion--figures the Kerry camp disputes. It is true that Kerry wants to finance his health plan by raising taxes on the wealthy.

But Kerry pledges not to raise rates for families earning less than $200,000 a year. Bush himself proposes tax cuts and changes to the Social Security system that many independent analysts say would cost more than $2 trillion in revenue over 10 years.

Statement: Kerry "apparently woke up this morning and has now decided, no, we should not have invaded Iraq, after just last month saying he still would have voted for force, even knowing everything we know today." -- Monday, in Derry, N.H.

Context: Bush was referring to Kerry's vote for an October 2002 congressional resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.

Kerry did say in August that he would vote again for the force resolution, even if he knew that weapons of mass destruction would not be found in Iraq.

Kerry, however, was trying to distinguish between a congressional action intended to give the president diplomatic leverage against a rogue state and a presidential decision to launch an invasion.

Kerry and many Democrats contend that Bush did not exhaust diplomatic options. They also note that the force resolution was not a declaration of war--a power the Constitution gives Congress.

Presidential nominee Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.)

Statement: "One year ago, this administration asked for and received $18 billion to help the Iraqis and relieve the conditions that contribute to the insurgency. Today, less than $1 billion of those funds have actually been spent." -- Monday, in New York