President Kerry, Cliff Notes Version

For those of you who are too lazy to read the entire Kerry speech below (we wouldn't want to cut into your Snood time now, would we?), William Saletan breaks it down quite nicely over at Slate.

And if you're too lazy to read Saletan, here are the highlights:

1. "Iraq was a profound diversion from" the war on terror.

2. Kerry voted for war authority to scare Saddam Hussein into allowing inspections.

3. The United States shouldn't have invaded Iraq.

4. We should have "tightened the noose" instead.

5. Bush's unilateral conduct of the war has cost us lives and money.

6. The war has impaired our ability to confront graver threats. Specifically:

a) The war diverted us from pursuing Osama Bin Laden.
b) It diverted us from the two worst members of the "Axis of Evil."
c) Bush's false statements about Iraq squander the credibility we need to confront these graver threats.

7. We're worse off than we were before the war.

8. Bush's pre-emption doctrine is running amok.

9. Bush keeps saying things that aren't true.

10. Bush fires aides who tell the truth.

11. Kerry changes his mind when the evidence requires it.

12. Iraq is now part of the war on terror.

13. Use money, programs, and financial favors to get more done in Iraq.