John Kerry actually said...

"The time has come, in my view, to set a timetable for responsibly drawing down our troops so we can focus on pursuing a sustainable global strategy to combat al-Qaeda."

"Last year, as we all know, the administration faced some very tough choices with respect to Afghanistan and Pakistan."

"Although the outcome in military terms was never in doubt, our Marines and their NATO and Afghan partners performed heroically."

"Thus, my professional judgment is that U.S. security would be best served by the Senate providing its advice and consent to ratification."