Kerry suggested that the United States has spent $200 billion on Iraq, largely because it supplied the bulk of the troops. This was an exaggeration because it combined the amount already spent -- about $120 billion -- with money that is expected to be spent in the coming year or requested by the administration.
But Bush also overstated the case when he corrected Kerry by saying that the senator forgot to mention that Poland supplied forces when the invasion began. Kerry said there were three countries that did -- Britain, Australia and the United States -- and Bush said, "actually he forgot Poland."
Poland later supplied troops and commanded a zone in Iraq. But, except for a few commandos, Polish troops were not part of the original ground invasion. And though Bush said there are 30 countries in the coalition, he neglected to say that about a half-dozen have recently withdrawn their troops.
Kerry was correct when he said that the number of U.S. troops killed in June, July, August and September increased month by month. But he left out that the highest number killed in any month was 150 in April and that the total dropped to 88 in May and to 42 in June before it started climbing again to September's 92.
At another point, Kerry said that Powell "told this president the Pottery Barn rule: If you break it, you fix it." This anecdote comes from Bob Woodward's book "Plan of Attack," but Woodward actually reported that Powell privately talked with aides about the rule that if "you break it, you own it." He did not say this to the president -- and it turns out Pottery Barn has no such rule.
As part of his case that Kerry has sent mixed messages, Bush asserted that "he voted against the $87 billion supplemental to provide equipment for our troops, and then said he actually did vote for it before he voted against it."
While Bush meant it as a jab, this was an accurate description of the Senate process. Kerry supported a different version of the bill, which was opposed by the administration. At the time, many Republicans were uncomfortable with the administration's plans and the White House had to threaten a veto against the congressional version to bring reluctant lawmakers in line. In a floor statement explaining his vote, Kerry said he favored the $67 billion for the troops on the ground, but he faulted the administration's $20 billion request for reconstruction.
Staff writer Dafna Linzer contributed to this report.
