FIRST OFF . . .

Burt Reynolds says rumors that he has AIDS are part of a carefully orchestrated and clandestine smear campaign. In an interview on the syndicated “Hour” magazine show scheduled to air Wednesday, Reynolds says: “I think that there is no doubt that you can’t keep that kind of thing (the AIDS rumors) going unless it is well-orchestrated--and somebody’s doing a beautiful job of it.” Reynolds questioned why the media, “who jumped on this rumor with a vengeance and couldn’t wait to ask me if it was true,” never once tried to investigate if it was false. He wondered why investigative reporters didn’t try to find out “if it is Lyndon LaRouche or whoever. Why not nail them ?”