Scandals Somehow Led to Vice

In a mano a mano of life styles, Brown University pitted Watergate mastermind G. Gordon Liddy against gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson in a debate on “heroes of our time.” Liddy, dressed in a gray suit, mustache bristling and shaven head gleaming, marched to the stage and saluted. “I’m getting sick and tired of the Washington press corps,” Liddy declared. “Every time there is a sex scandal at a steamboat landing, they attach the suffix ‘-gate’ to it. They’re impinging upon my dear Watergate.” Thompson, who wore a loud red, white and blue geometric print shirt, flashed peace signs to the sold-out crowd. “I’m not sure really why we’re debating here, but I’ll find out,” Thompson said. “We have time.” He gazed at the huge oil paintings of former university presidents that line the walls of the cavernous auditorium and mused: “Who are these gentlemen around these walls? They seem to be asking why I’m here.” The discussion ranged from Watergate to the Iran-Contra affair to the state of the Reagan Administration, the night’s only point of agreement. (“A failed experiment,” said Thompson. “Almost disintegrating,” said Liddy.) When the topic turned to “Doonesbury,” Liddy darted in. “Hunter, you appear regularly in the comics, and I appear regularly on ‘Miami Vice,’ ” he said. “That’s the similarity.” “But you get paid,” Thompson replied. “I’d rather be on ‘Miami Vice.’ ”

--John Napoleon La Corte, 79, is a man with a dream. The New York millionaire said he was anguished over what could be done to solve the problems of teen-age pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS. He said he decided to invest some of what he made in the insurance industry into assisting “young people regain some of their lost morals.” He is establishing a lottery that will offer $1,000 to teen-age girls who can prove their virginity at age 19. He said he hopes the lottery program, limited to Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, will be a model for cities around the country. Details such as what would constitute proof of virginity still must be worked out, La Corte said, but the phones already are ringing off the hook. “We’ve been bombarded. There were 37 girls who called today,” he said.

--”It’s a tough time for turkeys,” said Jane Broadwater. She and her husband are supporters of Farm Sanctuary, a group that protests the factory farming of birds and is running an “Adopt-a-Turkey” campaign. The Broadwaters said they are taking two turkeys into their Frostburg, Md., home. “We’re happy to give them a home and enjoy their company,” she said.