At last week's Denver huddle where "about 100 conservative Christian leaders from around the country agreed to unite behind the candidacy of John McCain, a politician they have long distrusted," a document boldly titled "Declaration of American Values" was also birthed. Its thesis:

It is imperative that people of strong Biblical faith stand in unity to affirm the core consensus values that do serve as the basis of America's greatness.

With that in mind, the drafters affirmed 10 values ranging from the sanctity of human life and traditional marriage to gun rights and the perils of progressive taxation.

But, in reading through the accounts, I've been hard-pressed to find names of more than about 20 individuals involved. Though you can see the document on various websites, there appears to be no public list of its signatories.

Is this grand declaration a portrait of any new Evangelical leaders' worldview, or is it just a repackaging of ideas from the old guard? Right now, it's impossible to tell. Until more information is released, the meeting and its product resembles one of the smoke-filled rooms where political bosses used to make their decisions (though, in this case, I'm sure the room was smoke-free).

Compare this with two other recent declarations: An Evangelical Manifesto and An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture, both of which allow the curious to read their full lists of John and Jane Hancocks.

The Declaration of American Values ends with the phrase: “We hereby pledge our names, our lives, and our sacred honor to this Declaration of American Values.” Shouldn't they make such a solemn pledge in public?