Bush did lie, but Kerry will never say that and then own it. He says he thinks it, but doesn't have the guts to stand up for that idea. Put it this way: when did Kerry realize that Bush lied? If he knew it at the time that Bush was arguing for war, then he was a coward or a cynic for voting to authorize force. If he realized it after we learned about "bad intelligence," then Bush didn't lie, because according to the official story, which Kerry has never refuted, Bush was a victim of bad intelligence too.
As for the argument that Kerry authorized force but didn't consent to war, I find that pretty hard to believe. No one who has been around as long as he has doesn't know the practical meaning of authorizing force. And no one who claims to have any genuine concern about the lives of the troops would risk that it meant going to war with the Bushies in control.
Christian