Comparing Hart and Clinton

I read with interest the editorial "The Character Issue," Jan. 28, which compares the two trial-by-publicity cases: Gary Hart's and Bill Clinton's.

The contrast in handling of the issue in these cases should be enlightening to the public for there is a meaningful difference. Whereas Mr. Hart addressed the press alone, and his wife was quoted as being self-pitying and bitter, Hillary and Bill Clinton appeared on the television program "60 Minutes" solidly united.This goes a long way to acceptance and even exoneration in the eyes of the public. I have a distinct feeling the New Hampshire voters wil say the same at the ballot box. Robert C. Goodspeed, St. Louis Vice President Rockefeller

In the Opinion page column "Slowly, a New Image for Quayle," Jan. 28, the author writes that "every vice president since 1952, with the exception of Spiro Agnew, has become the presidential nominee of his party."

This is incorrect. Nelson Rockefeller, who served as vice president from 1974 to 1977, was never the Republican presidential nominee. Jack El-Hai, Minnetonka, Minn. Role models in movies

The Opinion page article "Models for Kids in 'Beauty and the Beast, Jan. 30, is a factual and warm-spirited review of the movie "Beauty and the Beast," but it has a blind spot.

The author describes a refreshing movie in which the heroine represents a positive role model for young females because she is strong, intelligent, independent, stubborn, and unafraid. She also describes three male characters, one of whom is a vain "male bimbo." Another is a father unable to extricate himself from his own difficulties and who then allows his daughter to be sacrificed in his place. The third is a "horrible beast."

The author concludes the article with the question "What more can you ask from a movie?" In response to this question, I suggest that you could ask a movie to present two positive role models, one of each sex. It isn't necessary to portray men as bad in order to illustrate the goodness of women. Robert C. Hunt, Modjeska Canyon, Calif. Borrowing vs. buying

Regarding the Ideas page column "The Case of the Vanishing Reader," Jan. 28, perhaps we should compare the 60 percent of Americans not buying books with the increase, if any, in the use of libraries.

Speaking for myself, I cannot afford the price of books and have been using the libraries around our town 100 percent. I belong to the "graying core" who does not buy books, but still reads. Afke Doran, Silverton, Ore.