a Democratic debate in July, in an NPR interview in September, and to a New Hampshire editorial board on Monday -- that he only voted in 2002 to authorize Bush to use force against Iraq because Bush had privately promised him that he was only trying to get weapons inspectors into the country. (Bush's office denies that Bush said this.)

In July, Biden continued : "From the moment 'shock and awe' started, from that moment, I was opposed to the effort, and I was outspoken as much as anyone at all in the Congress and the administration."

Biden's September rendition to NPR was the most direct: "Before you know it, we had 'shock and awe.' Immediately, the moment it started, I came out against the war, at that moment."

The Saturdayversion went like this: "The president then went ahead with 'shock and awe,' and right after that -- and from the very moment he did that, right after that -- I opposed what he was doing, and spoke to him."

How the Biden team has explained

After journalists noted in September that it was false that Biden came out "against the war" right at its start, a campaign adviser, Antony Blinken, told The Washington Post's fact checker Glenn Kessler that Biden "misspoke." Biden himself acknowledged to New Hampshire voters that he had made a "misrepresentation."

Blinken and Biden explained in September that Biden had been opposed to how Bush went to war and how Bush was carrying out the war.

"The extent to which I misspoke was -- my public statements were