The Washington Post

Politics by Ben White

Wednesday, September 27, 2000; Page A14

Interest Groups Hope Campaign Ads Make Them Campaign forces

Television ads from a variety of interests groups are hitting the airwaves this week. The Catholic group Priests for Life began airing a television commercial on cable stations in major media markets aimed at driving the abortion issue to the center of the campaign debate.

The ad, part of a $1 million media campaign planned by the group, will air all week in prime time on cable stations in New York, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Chicago, Washington, Detroit and Pittsburgh. "If those elected to public office can’t respect the life of a little baby, how are they supposed to respect yours?," the Rev. Frank Pavone, the head of the group, says in the ad.