THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

That famous three card fast shuffle scam that has been around for hundreds of years is now being played with words by those who would cover their bigotry. Nowadays, however, they call it rebranding but it is still putting lipstick on a pig.

Conservatives want to make it clear: They’re for the right of everyone to practice their religion, period.

But they still want to be able to refuse to sell their products to gay couples or refuse to have same-sex marriages performed in their church. That’s our religious belief, they say, not intolerance.

Saying those things too loudly and too often, though, are usually political poison in general elections, so Republicans are rebranding by offering a different way of expressing such views. Just as tax increases became revenue enhancements and the lethal MX missile was “The Peacekeeper,” the social conservative message is now all about seeking true religious freedom and liberty.

That message achieves several goals. It sidesteps the notion that anyone would discriminate against gays or minorities, and helps Republicans overcome the image that the party is intolerant.

And it’s good politics. “The religious freedom message does blend into standard Republican attacks on the size of government,” said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia.

So in spreading this new, carefully-crafted message, Republicans remind voters:

–Your right to practice religion is under siege by an intrusive government. “Religious liberty has never been more threatened in America,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told a cheering audience last week at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Washington conference.

–Republicans are the party that better understands why religion matters. “You can’t have strong families with a government that strong arms families and our faith,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

–Watch out for the cabal of Democrats, the media and even some Republicans who put business interests over religious liberty. “Big business made an unnatural alliance with the radical left,” said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

–The Supreme Court’s conservative bloc must be strengthened. “Why wasn’t that a 9 to 0 decision?” asked Jindal of the court case that rejected the policy that family businesses needed to provide birth control coverage. The vote was 5 to 4.

And so the ideas that wouyld be rejected by their Jesus are wrapped in the language of the cult he inspired to inspire its followers to hate as their leaders do. Rebranding! In the Old West it was a major part of cattle rustling.