Jeb may be telling many of his audiences that "religious freedom is now under attack" in America, but in New Hampshire he's doing nothing of the sort.

When a Granite State voter asked him about the Pope's recent encyclical on climate change, here was Bush's response via Tim Alberta.



"I think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that end up getting into the political realm."

"It's not just in the church pews where you should be able to express your opinion, it's on the town square. And that's what's missing right now," Bush said. He added: "We're now at a point where people that do have faith that guides their decisions [are told] they need to keep it in a lockbox somewhere—keep it at home, keep a lock on it. And I think that's where we take our stand."

That certainly plays well in the libertarian-laden New Hampshire, but in socially conservative Iowa, he's telling an entirely different story.

"Take our stand"?! Goodness, are we looking at an insurrection? Some sort of religious takeover?

And here's a glimpse of Bush's remarks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference last Friday:



He said Catholicism "has been an organizing part of my architecture … as a person and certainly as an elected official," and mocked the "game of political correctness" that says decisions in government shouldn't be influenced by one's faith. Bush rejected this idea—"that's not me," he proudly declared—and proved it by citing a string of faith-fueled battles he waged in Florida, including the (Terri) Schiavo case.

Old "no regrets" Bush is touting Schiavo as an example of the executive overreach he can accomplish as president. Not to mention his attack on reproductive freedom.