Kerry has for months expressed increasing skepticism about the Iraq war, but his newly chosen running mate has been relatively quiet on the topic. Back in October of 2002, Edwards was among the most hawkish of the Democrats in Congress, even co-sponsoring the Iraqi war resolution in the US Senate.

"The president went back on his word," said Kerry. "I take that personally." He added: "Evidence is mounting significantly that they made a decision then framed an argument to support it. I think there are very serious questions about that that remain to be answered."

The war presents Kerry and Edwards with a delicate political dilemma. Both men supported it - Edwards vigorously. But with evidence mounting that the war was based on false premises, the Democratic base, crucial to their fortunes in the presidential election, is increasingly angry about the conflict.

"If someone had told me it was Mr. Chalabi and his crowd, I would have discounted by exponential factors what I was hearing and had a very different set of reactions," said Kerry. "I believe that the evidence is mounting that this administration made a decision to go to war and then fashioned a support structure for that decision."

Asked if Bush lied to him, Kerry said, "Look, those are all the words of politics. The bottom line is that the president abused the authority that we gave him. The president went back on his word. You use the words you want."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/071204Z.shtml