Look at the way the question was put. The fact that the flack from the Kerry campaign couldn't respond with an immediate and forceful Heck, no!! says it all.
Actually, it was a well-worded question by the MSM.
If Kerry flack answered "yes", the follow-up questions could have been who victimized Kerry and how. By not answering, the flack didn't provide more rope to hang his candidate and covering his own butt. He didn't know the true story and he had already one foot over the cliff when the question was asked.
Oh, I agree. There was no room for weaseling allowed. That was a job well done. And I'll bet the journo who asked it is getting a ration of excrement for his trouble.