Reagan Letter on Democratic Governors Hit

Democratic governors on Monday protested a highly partisan fund-raising appeal by President Reagan that attacks them for a “liberal mind-set.”

The Reagan letter to past contributors to GOP candidates surfaced after a speech here to the National Governors Assn. by Treasury Secretary James A. Baker III. It accused Democratic governors of helping to block Reagan’s budget plan.

“Clearly, the huge majority of governors the Democrats have represent the last unchallenged stronghold of the liberal ‘tax and spend’ philosophy that nearly brought America to her knees,” said the Reagan letter, part of a fund-raising appeal for Republican gubernatorial candidates.

Protests to Baker

Democratic Gov. Charles S. Robb of Virginia protested the letter directly to Baker, the highest-ranking Administration official to appear at the conference. Robb said the letter was misleading and inaccurate and that Democratic governors were sending Reagan a letter protesting the partisan tone of the fund-raising appeal.

The Reagan letter was written for Pennsylvania Gov. Dick Thornburgh, chairman of the Republican Governors Assn., who is trying to raise $5 million to elect more GOP governors next year. Democratic governors now hold a 34-16 margin over Republicans. Twenty-eight Democratic governors are up for reelection next year.

During his speech, Baker defended President Reagan’s proposal to end federal income tax deductions for state and local taxes, which is opposed by about two-thirds of the nation’s governors. He did not comment on the Democrats’ response to Reagan’s letter.