By Staff Reporter, KARE-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN), November 1, 2006

2 Nov 2006 // Arizona Senator John McCain was in Minnesota Wednesday campaigning with Governor Tim Pawlenty and congressional candidate Michele Bachmann.

During the rally for Bachmann, McCain made reference to her spiritual life. He told her he was really looking forward to working with her in congress, "It's very hard trying to do the Lord's work in the city of Satan, so I definitely think you'll be an improvement in a variety of ways."

McCain's comments reference an incident that was fodder for political blogs a couple of weeks ago. That's when a video of Bachmann appeared on the Web site You Tube and it generated a lot of talk and a little legal action.

The video was taken at the Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park.

In the video pastor Mac Hammond offers Michele Bachmann his personal endorsement.

However, he says his church, the Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, cannot endorse a candidate. "But," he says, "I can tell you, personally, that I'm going to vote for Michele Bachmann."

A Washington group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics filed a complaint with the IRS, saying Living Word violated its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit organization with that statement.

Pastor Hammond's words weren't the only ones getting attention.

After Hammond introduced her, she began to tell the congregation about her failed attempt to pass a ban on same-sex marriage in the Minnesota senate.

She said she was called by God to push for the ban, and then God told her to run for national office. "God then called me to run for the United States Congress," she said.

Bachmann, who had kept religion out of the congressional race, went on to say she is "a fool for Jesus," and she and her husband fasted and prayed for three days before she decided to run.

Bachmann's religious views are well known from her days in the Minnesota senate. She was the main proponent of the amendment to ban gay marriage.