A pretty prominent religious conservative has started an online petition for the presidential candidates (read: John McCain) to select “a true Christian VP”–someone who has been “spiritually transformed by Jesus Christ (i.e. regenerated or born again).” The effort is being led by Gary Cass, who led Christian Right legend D. James Kennedy’s Center for Reclaiming for Christ. Its advisory committee includes such powerful evangelical activists as Phil Burress, who led the drive for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Ohio in 2004 and who, in the process, might have delivered the White House to George W. Bush. The committee also includes Steve Baldwin, executive director of a powerful coalition of social conservative leaders called the Council on National Policy. Thanks to David Brody for the tip.

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