By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The campaign for Tuesday's election is the first in which seven Republicans - four describing themselves as pro-life - refused to fill out Northern Kentucky Right to Life's candidate questionnaire.

It's a little 10-question piece of paper, but it's a big political deal.

Critics say the views of the organization's leadership, namely a recent assertion that birth control pills cause abortions, and personal attacks on those who question the group's tactics are causing more candidates to shy away from the group's endorsement.

"I just don't think it's a constructive exercise (to answer the questionnaire),'' said Campbell County Judge-executive Steve Pendery.

The Fort Thomas Republican, who describes himself as pro-life, was endorsed by Northern Kentucky Right to Life four years ago, but he did not respond to the group's questionnaire during the current campaign.

"They are going to refine that questionnaire every year to make it more and more extreme,'' he said.

Republican Terry Rasche, who is running against Democrat Ken Rechtin for a Campbell County Commission seat, said he doesn't believe the issues raised in Northern Kentucky Right to Life's candidate questionnaire are relevant to the race for county commissioner.

"Once the leadership of Northern Kentucky Right to Life started vilifying pharmacists and doctors and people who took standard birth control pills, that really rubbed people the wrong way,'' said Mr. Rasche.

His is one of 10 contested federal, state and local races in which Northern Kentucky Right to Life made no endorsement.

`We're not their agent'

"I think Republican candidates finally realize we're not their agent and never have been,'' said Robert Cetrulo, president of Northern Kentucky Right to Life.

"We did not endorse George Bush (in the 2000 presidential campaign) and we caught some flak for that,'' he said.

"Some candidates have complained that our questions are tightly worded. But the bottom line is, killing is black and white. If you don't believe that, you shouldn't hold office.''

Mr. Cetrulo said election results during Northern Kentucky Right to Life's 20-odd years of endorsing candidates "frequently show how many people pay attention to (the group's) endorsements.''

As evidence, he cited Northern Kentucky state legislators' records in support of anti-abortion legislation.

While Northern Kentucky Right to Life, which is not affiliated with the Kentucky or national Right to Life organizations, has been acknowledged as a political force locally, some have questioned the tactics and beliefs of the group's leadership.

Its refusal to release any information on its membership is another point of contention for some.

`Way out there'

"When I knock on doors, there are plenty of people who consider themselves pro-life, but they think that Bob Cetrulo is way out there,'' said Kenton County Commissioner Adam Koenig, who is facing a challenge from Democrat Michael Baker on Tuesday.

Neither was endorsed by Northern Kentucky Right to Life.

"It seems that people were reluctant to get on (Mr. Cetrulo's) bad side for years, but I think that's changing,'' Mr. Koenig said.

In some cases, candidates in major races said they did not answer Northern Kentucky Right to Life's questionnaire, instead submitting letters explaining their views on abortion and detailing their legislative record on the issue.

Those candidates include 4th Congressional District candidate Geoff Davis, who is challenging Democrat Ken Lucas; Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who faces a challenge from Democrat Lois Combs Weinberg, and Democrat Sue Sampson, who is challenging Republican Dan Humpert for a seat on Kenton County Fiscal Court.

No one in those races was endorsed by Northern Kentucky Right to Life.

Question revised on `Pill'

"Our questions are clear and they call for an answer,'' Mr. Cetrulo said.

"But candidates don't want to burden themselves with an answer (to the questionnaire) because it calls for candor. If they don't want to respond to our questionnaire either, a), they're pro-abortion, or two, this is not important enough for them to respond to.''

Besides the questionnaire, Mr. Cetrulo said Northern Kentucky Right to Life's 10-member board of directors makes its endorsements based on candidates' public statements, voting records and, in some cases, candidate interviews.

"Anyone can use words and say they're pro-life,'' Mr. Cetrulo said. "The devil's in the details.''

When Mr. Pendery, who is unopposed, ran for judge-executive in 1998, Northern Kentucky Right to Life's questionnaire asked candidates if they would support legislation "which prohibits the use of state, federal and/or Medicare funds for abortion (including chemical abortions, such as the so-called "morning-after pill'').

In the 2002 campaign, that question was modified to read as follows:

"Will you actively support (and if in a position to do so, sponsor and vote for) legislation which prohibits all use of state, federal and/or Medicare funds for abortion, including chemical abortions, such as RU-478, or the so-called morning after pill, and the so-called `standard birth control pill'? It is now acknowledged that the pharmaceutical manufacturers agree that the so-called `standard birth control pill' carries an abortifacient function.''

"If the right-to-life position is going to become the dominant position in this country, it'll happen because we're able to persuade people,'' said Mr. Pendery, who added he thinks the local anti-abortion community would like to see more focus on issues such as partial-birth abortions.

"You can't persuade people when you're calling them a murderer.''

Abortifacient or not?

Kenton County Commissioner Barb Black, a registered nurse recognized in 1999 by Northern Kentucky Right to Life "for the tremendous works she has already accomplished for human life,'' said she could not answer "yes'' to the revised question because it would be tantamount to saying that birth control pills cause abortion.

"(By answering yes) ... any candidate or elected official who receives the endorsement of Northern Kentucky Right to Life believes that standard birth control pills cause abortion and that their constituents who use standard birth control pills are therefore pro-abortion,'' Mrs. Black said.

She provided a position statement from the conservative Christian Medical and Dental Associations that said "... current knowledge does not confirm or refute conclusions that routine use of hormonal birth control causes abortion.''

She also points to a position statement from 20 anti-abortion OB-Gyns from across the United States that concluded, "The `hormonal contraception is abortifacient' theory is not established scientific fact.''

Mr. Cetrulo countered that his own experts disagreed. "If you read the medical literature, if you read what the FDA says, you'll see that the standard birth control pill can cause an abortion,'' he said.

Mrs. Black did not return Northern Kentucky Right to Life's questionnaire this year.

Her opponent, Democrat Stephen Douglas Wright, answered "yes'' to all 10 questions on Northern Kentucky Right to Life's questionnaire. He was one of eight state and local candidates endorsed by the organization.

Two years ago, Mrs. Black disagreed with Mr. Cetrulo over an attempt by a fellow Northern Kentucky health board member to ban all artificial means of birth control prescribed at health board clinics.

At Northern Kentucky Right to Life's annual Celebration of Life in fall 2000, Mr. Cetrulo publicly called Mrs. Black a "liar.'' That same year, Mr. Cetrulo tried to have Kenton County Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd remove her as his representative on the health board.

"Dick Murgatroyd showed political fortitude when Bob Cetrulo demanded he take me off the health board,'' Mrs. Black said. "He refused to do that, knowing he would be under attack.''

`What he did was wrong'

"What Bob Cetrulo did with Barb Black was very wrong,'' said Karen Riegler, coordinator of the 12-year-old Pro-Life Commission of the Diocese of Covington. "I have no problem with Barb Black. She is very pro-life. But Bob Cetrulo eats his own. I wouldn't recommend his endorsements.''

Ms. Riegler, who said her group is a service-oriented and does not do political endorsements, accused Mr. Cetrulo of "ripping apart diocesan clergy and its bishops'' and hurting the anti-abortion cause.

"He does not speak for the church and he does not speak for a lot of the pro-life people,'' Ms. Riegler said.

Mr. Cetrulo responded by calling Ms. Riegler "a Johnny come lately'' to the anti-abortion movement and described her group's record as "shameful.''

Another Northern Kentucky anti-abortion group, Citizens Coalition for Life, says it has a different approach. Formed about two years ago, the group helps anti-abortion organizations network with one another and meet with politicians, so lawmakers can become familiar with their work.

"There was a group of people that just saw a need to be pro-life in a more positive way than what had been going on,'' said Paul Meisenhelder, president of Citizens Coalition for Life. "We would probably agree on the major issues with Northern Kentucky Right to Life, but the methodology we would use to get our message across would be different.''

"It's not just the mindset we're trying to change,'' Mr. Meisenhelder said. "It's the hearts. If politicians see the work that's going on and they appreciate it, they're more likely to be pro-life.''

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com