Reagan's 'lasting endorsement' questioned

A challenger to Republican-endorsee Daria Novak, one of three Republicans seeking the nomination to run against incumbent Congressman Joe Courtney, is questioning a letter Novak calls "a lasting endorsement from Ronald Reagan" in campaign literature.

A Novak campaign brochure quotes the letter, which is posted in full on the campaign website and was distributed to every Republican delegate during the party convention held this May in Hartford:

"With your help, our Administration has proven what no one need ever have doubted: The American dream of liberty and justice is alive and well," Reagan wrote. "Through your efforts and sacrifice, you have truly made a difference in the daily lives of your fellow citizens. On their behalf, and with my own heartfelt gratitude, I commend you for a job well done."

The letter was sent to Novak - then a political appointee in the State Department, serving as special assistant to the assistant secretary of state for East Asia - on Jan. 6, 1989, two weeks before Reagan's second term ended.

It is unclear whether the same letter was sent to other federal employees, but the letter mentions no specific details about Novak's service during the Reagan administration. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which maintains an archive of Reagan-era documents, could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Doug Dubitsky, whose campaign released a statement criticizing the letter on Tuesday afternoon, said the letter was "a form letter that thousands of federal employees likely received," not a personal endorsement of Novak's campaign.

"Her misrepresentation of Ronald Reagan's words, unfortunately, says more about Ms. Novak than does anything in the letter itself," Dubitsky said. "It raises questions about her credibility - questions Joe Courtney would surely exploit against her. If Ms. Novak would misuse President Reagan's name, the voters of this district should ask what else she would do to get elected to Congress, and what she would do to stay there."

Novak's campaign manager, her sister Suzanne Novak, blasted Dubitsky's criticisms as "dirty politics."

"The citizens of the 2nd District, and across the country, are sick of the mudslinging," Suzanne Novak said. "It's inappropriate. There are bigger issues that the candidates in the 2nd District should be running on. Our intent is to continue to stay focused on the issues in the next weeks leading up to the primary, and onto the election in November."

Novak, Dubitsky and a third candidate, Janet Peckinpaugh, will face off at the Aug. 10 primary. The winner will be named the state party's nominee to challenge Courtney in the Nov. 2 general election.

m.collette@theday.com