RSS Feeds  Multilingual Kerry charms French, German hosts
Wednesday - 2/27/2013, 3:38pm  ET   Associated Press  PARIS (AP)
-- Secretary of State John Kerry is charming his way through the
capitals of western Europe with his knowledge of local
languages, delighting audiences by speaking German and French to
his hosts.  The multilingual Kerry complimented a television
host's shoes in passable German on Tuesday at a town hall
meeting with youth in Berlin.  On Wednesday in Paris, he won
approving nods from journalists and diplomats when he opened a
news conference in fluent French, effusively praising his lunch
and relations between the U.S. and France.  He then drew
laughter by saying that that he would switch to English because
quote "otherwise I would not be allowed to return back home."
Kerry's French skills were cited as elitist by Republicans
during his unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign.