I'm not sure this has gotten the attention it deserves. The leading Republican presidential candidate in most national polls is facing what amounts to an open revolt from his party's religious conservative base (or perhaps more precisely from a wing of the party which makes up a significant portion of its base).

As we noted yesterday, Rudy Giuliani's pro-choice leanings have some leading religious conservatives publicly declaring their intention to abandon a pro-choice GOP nominee for a third party pro-life candidate.

This afternoon Richard Viguerie, the conservative direct mail guru and longtime leading light of the movement, launched a petition drive to get GOP voters to declare to the national Republican leadership that "they will not support or vote for any Republican candidates who are pro-abortion."