The American Legislative Exchange Council says it's turned the corner in the public relations war.

The state legislation factory that supplied model bills for concealed carry, voter ID, the castle doctrine and other initiatives that comport with its stated mission of promoting free-market principles has weathered scurrilous attacks from liberals and is moving on.

It’s even pulling back from its adopted nickname “ALEC.”

“You may have noticed we are limiting the use of the acronym, ‘ALEC,’" reads the March 21, 2013, American Legislative Exchange Council newsletter. “Over the last year, the word ‘ALEC’ has been used to conjure up images of a distant, mysterious, Washington alphabet organization of unknown intentions. This misrepresentation could not be further from the truth, but that ship has sailed.”

So the consortium of corporate lobbyists and conservative state legislators wants to abandon the cute moniker and focus on the words “exchange” and “council.” That, the newsletter says, will “emphasize our goal of a broad exchange of ideas to make government work better and more efficiently.”