Screens

AS if Sam Nunn won't have enough to do on the Senate select committee investigating the Iran-contra flap, he may be looking into the Quantico screen scandal, too. A spokesman said the Georgia Democrat, who is incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, will likely take up this case of a defense contractor sued for trying to keep Uncle Sam from wasting money.

The problem started, according to the Associated Press, when W.G. Burnette, president of DeVille Aluminum Products Inc., made the low bid - $16,143 - on a contract to put new screens on 214 houses at the US Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va. Once at the base, however, he saw that what was needed was merely the replacement of a few damaged or missing screens - a job that could be done for some $200. He returned the $16,143 contract unsigned. Ditto the $22,320 contract sent shortly thereafter.

Last month the Justice Department sued Mr. Burnette for $1,215.89 to cover extra costs apparently incurred in the hiring of another contractor, plus $1,000 in liquidated damages.

Burnette says he is willing to pay, but has written to Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, ``It is my opinion that misusing public funds is one of the reasons our country is broke today.'' He may have a point.