The New, Improved John Kerry

Bizuayehu Tesfaye / AP Photo Back from Afghanistan and Pakistan, the senator is relaxed, confident—and blunt. In an interview with The Daily Beast's Sandra McElwaine, Kerry dishes about everything from Gen. McChrystal’s troop request to the latest gossip about Richard Holbrooke.

In an interview in his photo-filled inner sanctum in the Capitol, Sen. John Kerry is careful, reflective in his statements, and usually PC. But suddenly, he becomes surprisingly candid. We are talking about one of the most contentious issues facing the country today: Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s recommendation to send an additional 40,000 troops to help quell the insurgency in Afghanistan. Although Kerry views the general as “a great warrior and a top soldier,” he is quick to point out that McChrystal’s purview is limited in both command and scope.

The senator seems to suggest the general is sidelined because he is not involved in the big picture of the war. “He’s got a specific task—commander of the International Security Afghan Forces—and he does not go beyond that,” said Kerry. “His responsibility is to view and win his theater, and he's looking at that, which why there’s not a lot of mention of Pakistan.”

Members of his entourage have noticed a change in their boss. Many believe Kerry has come into his own as a high-powered diplomatic negotiator, has exorcized the ghosts of the past and finally found his niche.

But isn’t Pakistan the crux of the whole situation?

“Exactly the point,” Kerry responds. "The president's job is to view all of the theaters, particularly the Pakistan impact.”

Such directness isn’t typical for the senator. But after a few minutes with him, you notice the stiffness and formality are gone. He seems confident in his roles as the new senior senator from Massachusetts and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And since his recent headline-making foray to Pakistan and Afghanistan, even members of his entourage have noticed a change in their boss. Many believe Kerry has come into his own as a high-powered diplomatic negotiator, has exorcized the ghosts of the past and finally found his niche. “He’s not bound by protocol or any large bureaucracy,” says one observer. “He’s really free and able to move around the world.”

Sliding into a colorfully upholstered wing chair, Kerry, in shirtsleeves, sits back, one arm casually draped over the side of the chair, and puts a positive spin on the chaotic situation in Afghanistan. The U.S. is at "a moment of opportunity,” he says. “Hamid Karzai has won a term and the ability to win a new legitimacy, and it’s very important for him to take steps to do that.’’ What’s crucial for Karzai, Kerry says, is to “step up, put the right people in positions, remove those who need to be removed, go after the corruption, and change the governance. Karzai has the ability to be a good partner if he commits to that path.”

When questioned about reports that he forged a close bond with Karzai while special envoy Richard Holbrooke did not—and in fact were at each other's throats—Kerry demurs. “I'm not going to comment. I don't want to suggest that Holbrooke didn't [forge a bond]. Don't believe everything you read,” he advises, explaining that his relationship with the beleaguered Afghan leader goes back many years. “We have a good rapport, we’ve known each other in previous visits, and worked on these issues,” Kerry says of Karzai. “We have a mutual respect and the ability to deal. I’m not saying that as any comment on anybody else. I don’t think it’s appropriate. Dick Holbrooke put a good team together. He’s done a lot of good stuff, and some people in Washington are picking on him.”

Kerry also downplays the rumors that swirl around National Security Adviser Jim Jones—that he's on his way out. "Not to my knowledge," says Kerry. "I've heard the Washington chitchat, people who speculate. I don't speculate or get into that. He was there when I met with the president when I came back from Afghanistan. I think he's doing a terrific job. I like him, have confidence in him and am confident the president does, too.”