ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, August 25, 1994                   TAG: 9408250107
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAVID M. POOLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

GROUP SAYS NORTH BACKS EXTREMISTS

The National Abortion Rights Action League on Wednesday called on Republican U.S. Senate candidate Oliver North to repudiate anti-abortion extremists who advocate violence against physicians who perform abortions.

Kate Michleman, president of NARAL, noted that North has the backing of Pat Robertson, whose legal foundation staff recently wrote an article saying that murdering abortion providers could be a form of justifiable homicide.

Michleman said that North deserves the ``gold medal'' for political hypocrisy for criticizing pro-choice groups like NARAL as ``extremists'' while embracing those who advocate violence against women and physicians.

``Mr. North's hypocrisy and his antipathy to the rights and needs of women clearly have no bounds,'' she said.

Mark Merritt, North's deputy campaign manager, said North is on record as denouncing violence against abortion clinics and physicians.

Merritt quoted North as saying the suspect recently charged with murdering a physician outside a Florida abortion clinic, if found guilty, should ``get the electric chair.''

Merritt dismissed Michleman's statement as a thinly veiled attempt to help incumbent U.S. Sen. Charles Robb, a Democrat who supports abortion rights.

``Maybe if Chuck Robb would get off his duff and campaign for himself, he wouldn't have to hide behind the skirts of extremists like NARAL,'' Merritt

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