PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - Rest of Beers with Kerry from 9/04 GQ

GQ&A OUTTAKES (Only on GQ.com):

John Kerry on fashion:

GQ: You are one of the most fashionable guys in D.C. JK: I am? Who said that?

GQ: Because you're not wearing the usual sort of bad Congressman's uniform: the shapeless two button suit and big baggy shirt. JK: My most comfortable clothing are a pair of blue jeans and a polo shirt. That's what I like.

GQ: Where do you buy your suits? JK: It's all made at Southwick in Lawrence, Massachusetts. And then I have another guy who does a little tailoring for me in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who's done stuff for me for 25 years.

GQ: Custom stuff? JK: Well, not really, you know, he patches up things. His name's Joe Calautti. But he's known as Rizzo the tailor. Rizzo on Church Street, in Cambridge. And he's a great guy. I've really known him for 25 years, 30 years now.

GQ: Really? They always say that a tailor knows a man's secrets. JK: I've heard that. But I don't think Joe knows any secrets. Unless I left something in a pocket one day when I brought it in.

John Kerry on boring dinner parties:

GQ: How do you get through a really boring dinner party? JK: In modern politics, people are raising so much money, running around so much, that the old image people have of Washington, of people sitting around at lavish dinner parties, it's gone. I don't know where people have the time to do it. I'm working. I'm all over the country. If you're running for the Senate, you have to raise millions, you've got to travel all over the country. If you're trying to have a family life, you struggle to find those evenings when you can be with the family or take the wife out. So I go to precious few dinners nowadays.

John Kerry on Max Cleland:

GQ: What do you think about what the Republicans did to Max Cleland? JK: It's one of the reasons I'm running. I was so angry. It's one of the reasons Teresa switched her party. I think politics reached a new low, an unbelievable, irresponsible, I mean just horrendous level when it goes after a guy like Max Cleland. It's the lack of decency, a lack of common decency when you can attack someone like Max Cleland for not being patriotic. You may not like his vote. But then go ahead and argue about his vote. But don't say he's weak on defense and he's not a patriot and won't stand up for America. Which is what they said. I think it's one of the most disgraceful moments in American politics. And it motivated me within two weeks of that election to go on Meet the Press and say, "I'm going to run for President." Because we got tot change what's happening in this country. Absolutely. You better believe it.

GQ: Will he have a place in your Cabinet? JK: Look, it's not appropriate for me to say Cabinet this and that and whatever. But I can tell you this. If Max wanted to work for his country some more, I'd try to find a place for him somewhere. I think he's superb. And I mean, I love him. He's a great friend.

FOR THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW, TURN TO PAGE 372 IN THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF GQ.

Michael Hainey is GQ's deputy editor.