By STUART TAYLOR JR. & DAVID BINDER (NY Times)
August 11, 1988

Roger Stone, the political strategist behind many Republican campaigns who otherwise has a reputation of sartorial elegance, frequently eschews wearing socks. In Ronald Reagan's 1980 Presidential campaign, Nancy Reagan fastidiously brought this to her husband's attention.

Mr. Reagan then asked his otherwise impeccably clad consultant why he was not wearing socks. ''I told him, 'I'm not wearing socks until the Soviets are out of Afghanistan,' '' Mr. Stone recalled. ''I had to say something, and that answer seemed acceptable to Governor Reagan.''

Soviet troops are leaving Afghanistan now, and this prompted someone attending a recent fund-raising event for Pete Dawkins, the Republican hoping to unseat Senator Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, to ask Mr. Stone again about his lack of socks.

After a reflective pause, he replied, ''I'm not wearing socks until every Soviet leaves Afghanistan.''