Oliver North

* Re “North Launches Campaign for Senate Seat,” Jan 28:

Oliver North, who admitted lying to members of Congress seven years ago, now wants to join their ranks “to take back government from the insiders and wheeler-dealers and put it back where it belongs--in your hands.”

Well, you can’t really say he invented wheeling and dealing, and working with insiders, but he certainly did his utmost to propagate the cause. Is this the pot calling the kettle black, or what? It will be interesting to watch to see just how gullible the voters of Virginia are this coming June.

JACK C. CASKEY

Anaheim

* The charismatic North is running for the U.S. Senate on a platform stressing integrity. The man who has been scrutinized by that body is now ready to face the media and to convince the citizens of Virginia that he is worthy to serve.

Will we ask the right questions of him and will we get satisfactory answers? Will he tell us about the airlift he oversaw which smuggled cocaine from Costa Rica to the United States? Will he tell us the details about the Costa Rican government’s declaring him persona non grata for narcotics trafficking? Will he finally justify taking such actions at the very time President Reagan and Vice President Bush were waging their “War on Drugs”? And will his rationale be consolation to the families, youth and crack babies so victimized by his actions?

I, for one, look to you to seek out answers to questions such as these during the campaign!

J. THOMAS UNGERLEIDER

Los Angeles