Spoiler, for those not aware of how the GOP operates: they’re not really shocked. They knew exactly what they were doing. In some circles, this tactic is known as “lying.”

WASHINGTON — Indiana’s Republican leaders said they were shocked, confused and completely caught off-guard by the backlash to their new “religious freedom” law, telling reporters Monday that they had not expected criticism calling the measure anti-gay.

“I don’t think anyone anticipated that the characterization of the bill would be, this denies to services to a specific class to Hoosiers. It does just the opposite. It includes all Hoosiers in the religious freedom standard. And it’s a misperception that it denies services,” said Indiana state House Speaker Brian Bosma (R) during a Monday morning press conference with Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R).

Long acknowledged that the GOP-controlled legislature did not work with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights groups on crafting the language of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act because the lawmakers didn’t think the bill would affect that community.

It is to laugh.

I should point out that critics of this bill understand it’s designed to protect people who deny services to gays. Nobody has said the bill itself “denies services” to LGBT people. This is a classic GOP misdirection.