Reagan Surprised at Hart’s Re-Entry in Presidential Race

President Reagan said today he was surprised by Gary Hart’s re-entry into the Democratic presidential race, but he wouldn’t say much more about it.

Reagan, posing for photographs before a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Goria, was asked whether he was surprised by Hart’s action, and what he thought of it.

“I am not going to answer the last part of the question, but, yes, I think everyone was surprised,” he said.

Asked whether he thought committing adultery should disqualify a person from serving as President, he said, “That’s up to the people to decide, and I am sure they will.”

Reagan said he was “not going to make a guess” about what the people’s verdict would be and declined to comment on whether Hart’s candidacy would hurt the Democratic Party.