PHILADELPHIA, PA - Philadelphia Inquirer; July 27, 2000

    Activists on both sides of the abortion issue are revving up lobbying and media campaigns as Republicans arrive for their national convention.

    Yesterday, the conservative group Center for Reclaiming America began running pro-life commercials on KYW-TV (Channel 3) and on Philadelphia cable channels carrying MSNBC and CNBC. Borrowing a technique from the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," the spots show what might have happened to one woman if she had not chosen to have an abortion.

    The commercials, which cost almost $50,000, will run through Aug. 4, said Janet Folger, director of the center based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. While they are not targeted at Republican delegates, she said, the choice of Philadelphia and the timing - the convention runs July 31 through Aug. 3 - is not coincidental.

    "We agree with the signers of the Declaration of Independence who met in Philadelphia and said that we 'are endowed by our Creator' with the 'inalienable' right to life," Folger said.

    On the other side, the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition held a Center City news conference with other pro-abortion groups earlier this week to decry the pro-life platform.

    The National Abortion Federation, which also took part in the news conference at Planned Parenthood Southeastern Pennsylvania, touted ads now running in the Philadelphia subway system that are designed to "humanize" the abortion decision. "Sister, Daughter, Mother," says one ad. "A few of the names women who've had an abortion actually deserve to be called."

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