Robert Novak

Robert Novak

Robert David Sanders Novak, known as Bob Novak (1931-2009), was a longtime columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and television commentator who became a leading conservative voice in journalism. A convert from Judaism to Catholicism after he became a conservative, Novak was an insightful critic of liberal policies and an informed writer about politics in general, repeatedly having refused to leave any stone unturned in the pursuit of truth.

Novak died at the age of seventy-eight after a battle with brain cancer. He was a 1952 graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and member of Tau Delta Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi. He was a veteran of the Korean War, having risen to the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

Novak was a movement conservative, providing strong intellectual reasons for his positions. Novak was a leading social and economic conservative in the media. At times, like colleague Pat Buchanan, he challenged what neoconservatives call "free trade" policies.

Novak, as the leading conservative reporter, is credited with inspiring many young conservative writers, such as David Freddoso and Timothy P. Carney, staff columnists at The Washington Examiner. Carney is also the author of the 2009 work Obamanomics, a critical account of the Barack H. Obama administration.

He is well known among the general public for several reasons:

• His publicizing the quote from a Democratic Senator (later revealed to be the late Thomas Eagleton of Missouri) that "people don’t know [Democratic presidential nominee George] McGovern is for amnesty, abortion, and acid." Based partly on this quote, which stuck to the candidate, McGovern lost in a landslide (ironically, after first picking Eagleton as his vice presidential candidate).
• His role in the Valerie Plame Wilson leak affair.
• His autobiography, Prince of Darkness: Fifty Years Reporting in Washington, which used his nickname "Prince of Darkness" for his sometimes pessimistic outlook.
• His frequent promotion of the merits of Whittaker Chambers's long autobiography, Witness, which espouses the anti-communist philosophy.
• As a long-time co-host of CNN's Crossfire and a former panelist on PBS's The McLaughlin Group.

Pro-life

After Novak's conversion to Catholicism, he changed his view on abortion, "When we started the column, Rowly and I were neutral on abortion, maybe leaning toward pro-choice. I began to read, think about it, and by the time I embraced Catholicism, I was adamantly against abortion. I'm happy that I moved in that direction."

More recently, Novak exposed the relationship Kathleen Sebelius, as the governor of Kansas, had with abortion provider George Tiller, having called Sebelius "the national pro-choice poster girl.”

Legacy

The Fund for American Studies awards an annual "Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Award" in his honor, to support up and coming journalists. The year-long program allows writers early in their careers to pursue projects they otherwise would be unable to research and report. Each Novak Fellowship provides $35,000 in grant money and expense assistance.

Books by Robert Novak

• The Agony of the GOP: 1964 (1965) – Co-authored with Rowland Evans. Analysis of the Republican Party's struggles following Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign.
• Lyndon B. Johnson: The Exercise of Power, by Rowland Evans, Robert Novak, New American Library, New York, 1966.
• Nixon in the White House: The Frustration of Power (1971) – Co-authored with Rowland Evans. Insight into the Nixon administration's challenges and policies.
• The Reagan Revolution: An Inside Look at the Transformation of the U.S. Government (1981) – Co-authored with Rowland Evans. Examination of Ronald Reagan's presidency and its impact on American government and policy.
• Completing the Revolution: A Vision for Victory in 2000 (1996) – Co-authored with Lawrence Kudlow and William Bennett. Outline of conservative policy recommendations leading into the 2000 elections.
• Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington (2007) – Autobiography detailing Novak's career in journalism and his perspectives on American politics.