Veep stock rises for Democrat Evan Bayh

Republican John McCain has added a Jewish congressman from Virginia to his list of potential vice presidents, while Barack Obama ‘s schedule raised speculation yesterday he was leaning toward Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh as his No. 2.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is headed to Elkhart, Ind., on Wednesday, a Hoosier town hit hard by recent plant closings that is a few hours from Bayh’s Terre Haute home.

The location set some tongues wagging that Obama may be preparing to name Bayh – a former Hillary Clinton supporter whose Armed Services Committee work could boost Obama’s thin foreign policy résumé – to be his veep.

Obama communications strategist Robert Gibbs declined to join in the crystal-ball gazing, saying only that the stopover reflected the campaign’s belief that “Indiana is competitive and winnable for us.”

At the same time, McCain was said to be vetting Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, 45, a favorite of the GOP ‘s conservative wing and frequent surrogate for McCain.

Cantor is the only Jewish candidate to make anyone’s short list so far this year, a fact that could help McCain in New Jersey, Florida and other potential swing states with significant Jewish populations, experts say.

Cantor’s rise in the veepstakes comes as Obama is said to be eying Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine as another potential prospect, opening up the possibility of an all-Virginia vice presidential faceoff. At the same time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was pushing her own dark horse candidate for veep yesterday: Rep. Chet Edwards of Texas, whose district includes President Bush‘s ranch