WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 03 (CWNews.com) -- Democratic Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, a presidential hopeful for 2004, leads a list of a "Deadly Dozen" Catholic politicians attacked today by the American Life League.

The American Life League (ALL), an activist group with 375,000 members, marked the 30th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision by opening a media campaign against prominent Catholics who reject Church teachings regarding the sanctity of human life.

Judie Brown, the president of ALL, accused Kerry of "flagrant disregard for and disrespectful attitude towards the sacred teachings of his own Church." She said that Kerry and his Massachusetts colleague, Senator Ted Kennedy-- another member of the "Deadly Dozen"-- were following a "deadly precedent" set by President John F. Kennedy "by failing to apply the moral teachings of the Church to his decision-making process while in public office. " The "Deadly Dozen" media campaign, ALL explained, was designed to put pressure on Catholic politicians, and to encourage their bishops to take disciplinary action against them. The campaign, Brown said, would push the Catholic politicians to "either recant their openly pro-abortion stance or cease claiming to be Catholic."

Along with Kerry and Kennedy, the "Deadly Dozen" included 10 other Democratic Senators: Tom Harkin of Iowa, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Patty Murray of Washington, Barbara Mikulski and Joseph Biden of Maryland, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, Susan Collins of Maine, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The ALL newspaper ads featuring the "Deadly Dozen" include the names and addresses of their diocesan bishops. ALL encourages Catholics to write the bishops, as well as the lawmakers, to press for a change in their positions.