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Our letter to the Times' Public Editor received this response:

Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004
To: "Editor - 201k.com"
From: Public
Subject: Re: Hello again. A.P. misquote?

Dear 201k.com,

Thank you for your message.

The misquote was whether Kerry said he met foreign leaders or he had heard that foreign leaders said that... Even Kerry has not backed away from the suggestion that there are leaders around the world who would like to see President Bush defeated.

An editor at NYTimes.com changed the language in the AP story from assertion to suggestion which is the language Times reporters used this morning in their story.

Sincerely,
Arthur Bovino
Office of the Public Editor

And, indeed, the sentence is question was changed from:

The speech was part of Kerry's effort to cast his campaign in terms of his war-hero background and, at the same time, deflect criticism over his vote in the Senate against an $87 billion funding bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also has been criticized for his assertion that some foreign leaders hope he defeats Bush in November.

to:

The speech was part of Kerry's effort to cast his campaign in terms of his war-hero background and, at the same time, deflect criticism over his vote in the Senate against an $87 billion funding bill for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also has been criticized for suggesting that some foreign leaders want to see Bush defeated in November.

But we're still puzzled over the word "foreign":

Mr. Bovino,

Thanks for your response. Yesterday's Times' story on the correction does not have the word "foreign" in it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/16/politics/campaign/16POOL.html

Mr. Kerry said on Sunday that he had used the word "heard," not "met," prompting Mr. Healy to revisit the recording. On Monday, he sent out a corrected transcript, clarifying that the quotation actually began, "I've met more leaders who can't go out and say it all publicly."

Thanks to the editor (and to you?) for the change from assertion to suggestion. I agree that the new sentence is more accurate. But what of the word 'foreign"?

Regards,

201k.com