A Washington-based lobbying group is targeting Sen. Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., with television ads because of his vote against an amendment to a "partial birth" abortion bill.

The Traditional Values Coalition's campaign, starting Wednesday, also ties into recent disclosures that research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center was using brain cells from aborted fetuses provided by Dr. LeRoy Carhart of Bellevue.

University officials subsequently said they would use alternate sources to elective abortions, such as miscarriages, whenever possible, and would name an external advisory panel and use full reviews of all research involving fetal tissue.

The Traditional Values Coalition, a nondenominational group representing 43,000 churches, had planned its ad campaign before the disclosure of the NU Medical Center research, Andrea Sheldon Lafferty, the coalition's executive director, said Tuesday in Omaha.

Nebraska is one of five states where the coalition will run TV spots. The others were not named, but both Republican and Democratic senators will be targeted, she said.

Lafferty said the coalition would like to change the vote on the issues raised in the Bob Smith amendment that was defeated Oct. 21.

The amendment, defeated 51-46, would have required research facilities receiving fetuses to document their delivery, the intended use of fetal tissue, a description of the medical procedure used to terminate the fetus and any fees paid.

Kerrey and Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, voted against the amendment. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, voted in favor.

The TV spots tie the research based on tissue from aborted fetuses to the selling of "baby body parts."

Kerrey spokeswoman Jody Ryan said the group distorted Kerrey's record.

"He clearly is opposed to selling baby body parts," she said. "It's a complete inaccuracy of his record, and I think that Nebraskans should be aware that over the next 10 months, they're going to be exposed to a lot of this junk."

Kerrey voted along with a majority of senators against the amendment, but it is inaccurate to tie his vote on the amendment to selling of baby parts, she said.

In a written statement, the coalition said that Nebraskans may have been shocked that the NU Medical Center was "buying body parts from an abortionist" but that Kerrey has known since October that "this is going on across the nation."

University officials have repeatedly denied that any money has been paid to Carhart.

Asked for proof of the coalition's statement, Lafferty said that the coalition believes there may be some benefit to Carhart.

"Why else would he do it," she said.

Elsewhere in the United States, abortion providers receive "site fees" or other remuneration such as transportation costs, Lafferty said.

She said Nebraskans should be asking the NU regents, state legislators and university officials for more information about the Medical Center research and the relationship with Carhart.

"How are they getting intact brains for research," she said.

Nebraskans also should be asking if the federal government should continue to fund research that ties to elective abortions, she said.

World-Herald staff writer Robert Dorr contributed to this report.

FORUMS

FLASH: There are special discussion group(s) regarding this topic in the Omaha.com Forums! You can join the special discussion by selecting the special forum from the list below or click here to visit other Forums. Nebraska Government (469 active posts)