Did Kerry's campaign intend to humiliate the GOP by using the word "nuisance" in a published interview to describe terrorism?

In the New York Times magazine, Kerry was asked what it would take for the American people to feel safer.  Kerry responded that they'd feel safer when terrorism, like organized crime and prostitution, was a nuisance rather than something that dominated our everyday lives.

The Republicans used this as ammo, using it to justify their talking point that Kerry is soft on terrorism.

Then, just last night, Kerry's website said that General Scowcroft used the term "terrible nuisance" in 2002 when asked if we could ever win the war on terror.  He said that just like crime, the only way to win the war on terror was to turn it into a "terrible nuisance" that would never be eradicated completely.

The question is: did Kerry intentionally use the term "nuisance" just as a bait to try to expose the GOP attack machine and expose them as double-standing liars?