Is John McCain being serious about picking a pro-choice running mate, or is he being coy? The New York Times today looks at conservatives concerned over the possibility of a pro-choice VP:

But other conservatives said that Mr. McCain, who has long been in step with the Republican Party platform in opposing abortion, was unlikely to be the first Republican presidential nominee in decades to select such a candidate. They said that Mr. McCain's recent public flirtation with Tom Ridge, a former Pennsylvania governor who supports abortion rights, was as much to give the appearance that Mr. McCain had an open mind on the issue as it was an embrace of Mr. Ridge.

"I think there's such sufficient understanding at the most senior levels of this campaign of the importance of the pro-family constituency that I'm very comfortable with how the selection process is proceeding," one Republican strategist close to the campaign said. "I think social conservatives will be fine."

The two possible pro-choice running mates McCain could choose are Tom Ridge and Joe Lieberman. As for Ridge, the Times writes:

Some Republicans said that Mr. McCain could still choose Mr. Ridge and get around the problem with social conservatives by assuring them that the vice-presidential candidate would support the position of the presidential candidate and the party, no matter his personal views.

But wouldn't that distract from the general campaign? Trying to take on Obama while at the same time trying to reassure social conservatives could simply be too demanding, leading one to wonder why the campaign would want to take it on in the first place. If a running mate is giving you that much trouble, perhaps it's because it's not worth it.

Of course Lieberman is a whole other story...