Obama names Republican governor as envoy to China

[Old Coot]

Source: Reuters

Obama names Republican governor as envoy to China
Sat May 16, 2009 2:12pm EDT

By Matt Spetalnick and Emily Kaiser

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday named the Republican governor of Utah to be the next U.S. ambassador to China, a pivotal post in relations between the United States and a major emerging economic power.

Jon Huntsman Jr., 49, a Mandarin-speaking former U.S. trade official with deep personal and family business ties to China, takes on a delicate diplomatic role with a vital trading partner and one of the biggest sources of financing for the growing pile of U.S. government debt.

"This ambassadorship is as important as any in the world because the United States will best be able to deal effectively with the global challenges of the 21st century by working in concert with China," Obama said at a White House ceremony with Huntsman at his side.

But Obama also used his nomination of Huntsman, a former ambassador to Singapore who was co-chairman of Senator John McCain's presidential campaign and has been mentioned as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2012, to send a message to China's communist leadership.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN1630730520090516

[Ian David]

1. I wonder if he nominates Repukes just to subject them to the vetting process. n/t

[emulatorloo]

4. You may have a point there, LOL n/t

[flyingfysh]

8. there could be another reason

This gets another Republican as far away from Washington as possible :)

[pleah]

2. puke

:puke:

[Frances]

3. Huntsman has two things going for him

He speaks Mandarin and he is a former U.S. trade official.

But being co-chairman of McCain's presidential campaign isn't good. If he really wanted McCain to be president, it shows poor judgment. If he just wanted to be on the good side of McCain should McCain be elected, it shows a moral weakness.

[Metta]

5. I agree. There's more meaning to this than meets the eye.

How long will it take for this to come out, I wonder?

[mbperrin]

12. His dad worked in the Nixon administration, too.

Along with some other familiar names - Cheney, Rumsfeld, and more....

[Baby Snooks]

47. The real problem is the Bushes...

Along with Vinson & Elkins. And Ron Kirk. And the conflicts-of-interest made quite obvious at this point with regard to Ron Kirk which should have been considered before his appointment but weren't just as the conflicts-of-interests with regard to Jon Huntsman won't be considered.

People don't want to connect the dots because they don't want to see the picture.

[girl gone mad]

52. Are you referring to something specific re: Ron Kirk?/

His appointment disturbed me because I knew what he was up to as mayor in Dallas.

[gtar100]

38. And why does he speak Mandarin? Love of Chinese culture? Or business interests.

Hmmm... he's a republican. What is it that so fascinates him about the Chinese culture? Taoism? Buddhism? Confucianism? Maoism? The food? The history? The martial arts? The beautiful land? Or cheap labor?

[Frances]

39. He was a Mormon missionary in a Mandarin speaking country

Taiwan?

All Mormon young men are supposed to go on a mission for a year (I think it is) to try to convert people to their religion.

I think his father also had business interests in China.

[gtar100]

49. Oh. To convert people. How noble.

So business interests and religious conversion. I honestly don't think this guy is a good pick for an ambassadorship. But it is uniquely American to pick someone with a conflict of interest and a religious bend toward proselytizing. God help us if we had a public servant who was a graduate from a university with a doctorate in Asian studies, who spent time there appreciating the vast diversity of culture in China and learning to understand it before trying to change them or take advantage of their oppressive labor practices. Maybe the guy will be good but the fact that he identifies himself as a republican and he worked to get McCain elected just puts the whole thing in doubt. Can't we do better?

[Baby Snooks]

44. Hunstman the man and Huntsman the company..

Huntsman has had business ties in China for some time. And would like to expand them. And with a little help from his friends will be able to.

[Wizard777]

6. He should send one to Siberia too.

:rofl:

[stlsaxman]

7. Takes him out of the running for 2012

[Moonwalk]

9. Yep. The less he's here, the less people get to know him, the less likely they'll vote for him.

[stlsaxman]

11. and- how's he gonna run against his old boss, anyways?

"Obama is a horrible president- even though we did great work together!"

[Redwraithvienna]

17. May i quote GOP strategist Mark McKinnon

"Keep your friends close and your enemies in China."

[santamargarita]

10. Don't we need some right-wing assholes on the Moon too?

:puke:

[xchrom]

13. right -- i'm sure he's on the side of working americans. shit is getting nuts. nt

[politicalmajority]

14. Jon Huntsman Was One of the Top Ten Conservative Idiots Back in 2005

http://www.democraticunderground.com/top10/05/204.html

[Moonwalk]

15. Now, now, even a top 10 idiot can be transformed by self-interest and ambition...

,,,into a useful tool. That's as compared to whatever kind of tool he was before :smoke:

[ThirdWorldJohn]

16. Did this have anything to do with the Mormons baptizing Baracks mother? nt

[No Elephants]

37. LOL!

[ConcernedCanuk]

18. Son of a b.....

.
.
.

"Huntsman is the son of billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman, and his family founded chemical company Huntsman Corp, which has operations in China, including a factory in Shanghai."

I think governments made up of selected welfare recipients are needed.

People WITH money seem not to know how to economize.

I've survived with less than $7000 a year.

I know some that need more than that per MONTH

Sooner or later, the poor will rule . .

Maybe not in my lifetime,

but poor people have survivor skills

we know how to live without too many $$$

[gtar100]

36. Family has business operationis in China? Hmmm... Sounds like a conflict of interest to me.

Why am I not surprised? All the other wonderful things people are saying in this thread about this guy suddenly just don't seem so likely to pan out.

Tell me again, what is the definition of fascism? Maybe this is the face of Neo-fascism - the people are complacent and government does the bidding of commerce.

[Baby Snooks]

46. More than meets the eye...

Ron Kirk probably suggested him to Obama. Scroll down to post #29. It might not be so curious except for the fact, and it is a fact, that Huntsman is a Republican and a Republican very much tied into the Bushes.

[lib2DaBone]

19. Huntsman Speaks Mandarin... good choice for an Ambassador to China..

There are NO DEMOCRATS that speak Mandarin ( I guess) Democrats could never understand business in China. (I guess)


Obama is playing Chess (I guess)

[No Elephants]

35. No indication as to how WELL he speaks it. Doesn't say "fluently." I took Spanish

in high school and college. In and of itself, that certainly does not qualify me to be ambassador to Columbia or Venezuela, or anywhere for that matter. Huntman will use a translator anyway.

Oh, you're kidding.

nevermind.

[stevedeshazer]

20. Obama Names Republican Governor Huntsman to Be Envoy to China

Source: Bloomberg.com

May 17 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama nominated Utah’s Republican Governor Jon Huntsman to be U.S. ambassador to China, the world’s most populous country and the biggest foreign owner of U.S. debt.

The selection of the Republican governor follows through on Obama’s pledge to seek bipartisan cooperation. Huntsman, 49, has served in Republican administrations and was co-chairman of Senator John McCain’s losing presidential campaign against Democrat Obama last fall.

Obama plans to visit China this year after a meeting with President Hu Jintao in London last month, when the two men pledged to step up dialogue and have regular talks. China is the fastest-growing major economy in the world, holds $767.9 billion in U.S. Treasury securities, and is America’s biggest trading partner behind Canada.

“There is much to be gained from a closer working relationship with China,” Obama said yesterday at the White House. “But improved relations with China will require candor, and open discussion about issues where we don’t agree, such as human rights, democracy and free speech, and will require that each of our nations play by the rules in open and honest competition.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aHiPLpT1zQLU&refer=home

[ThomCat]

21. From what I've been reading, this is one situation where

crossing the isle and appointing a republican seems like a really very good idea. Huntsman seems like an ideal person for the job as long as he'll take his lead from Clinton and do what the State Department needs to have done.

His knowledge of the language, art, culture and history is far, far more than what we would normal expect for get from a diplomat no matter how well educated they are. His love of China is incredibly obvious. He is known and respected in China for his love of the country and that is an asset.

Obama is making a really good choice.

[Baby Snooks]

29. Still, he's a Republican...

And a Republican with strong ties to the Bushes. There is also the matter of Huntsman the company. That is still in litigation over "breach of contract" involving a merger that was blocked by two banks refusing to fund the merger. Huntsman is now going after the banks. Huntsman has seen its fortunes decline. And Huntsman would see its fortunes improve considerably by expanded business ties in China. Note the "expanded."

And who suggested Huntsman for the position? Ron Kirk? Whose law firm is representing Huntsman in the lawsuits? A law firm that has an office in Beijing and might see its fortunes improve as well?

The same law firm that brought us Enron. Vinson & Elkins. The law firm that created the limited partnerships for Andy Fastow. The law firm that responded to Sherron Watkins by "educating" Ken Lay on how to deal with a whistleblower. The law firm that the Batson Report had stated had committed legal malpractice along with another firm, Andrews & Kurth, that conveniently handles the personal business affairs of the Bushes which may explain why the State Bar of Texas ignored the matter?

And the same law firm that brought us Al Gonzales. The poster boy of ethics and rule of law. Mentored by the very best.

No doubt Kay Bailey Hutchison will spearhead the approval of Hunstman. Her husband is "of counsel" to Vinson & Elkins. Her husband became "of counsel" instead of "partner" not long after serious questions were raised about Vinson & Elkins and its role as "outside counsel" for Enron. About the time a US Congressman called the managing partner of Vinson & Elkins a liar on national television during the Enron hearings.

Huntsman certainly is the ideal man for the job. For Huntsman and Vinson & Elkins. And that, of course, is all that matters. Just ask Ron Kirk.

[No Elephants]

40. What have you been reading? The article linked in the OP says he went to China for a year as a

Mormon missionary. Typically, the destination is up to the Mormon Church and the finances of the missionary.

Missionaries of any faith usually want to change the religion and, most often, the culture is intertwined with the religion.

While I believe that people who spend a year in China could learn some phrases, I doubt they learn the language well enough to discuss world affairs. More "Please pass the pea pods," than now, about greenhouse gases and nuclear arms controls...

I've read the Bloomberg article and Huntsman;s wiki and am not seeing what you got from your reading, so, if you can give me a link to where you got the info you posted, I'd appreciate it.

[javelin]

22. Yes Obama said he would choose the best people.

The best people to get the job done. This seems to be a good choice. So far Obama and his administration cross the aisle to get the job done. They both share the same goals: Help AIG, the other insurance companies, Bank of America, CITI, and other big banks, plus Wall Street. They are doing an excellent job. Run away inflation will be starting very soon.

[Believing Is Art]

23. Not sure what that has to do with the price of rice in China.

Seemed appropriate.

[davidinalameda]

24. did you leave a bridge unattended?

just curious

[No Elephants]

34. Meh. I think it's only a case of expecting parentheticals to replace the sarcasm emote, not a

case of buying bridges.

Just in case, though, no elephants is proud to represent (fanfare)......The Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.

[MannyGoldstein]

25. Finally!

Obama has appointed a Republican who identifies himself as one.

The honesty is refreshing - let's hope it's a trend.

[Zambero]

26. He's no Judd Gregg

Huntsman is a pragamatic and moderately inclined politician who does not appear to be held captive by inflexible right-wing ideology. As an LDS member from Utah, it took no small measure of courage for him to voice an opinion in favor of allowing gay marriages. He's also fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Seems like a good choice.

[davidinalameda]

28. he's in favor of civil unions

big difference from marriage

but even that is a major step for someone of his persuasion

[No Elephants]

42. Not sure it is a major step. A lot of equal rights organizations reject

civil unions. If a state is not going to let them marry, they don't the "separate but supposedly equal" sop.

If gay people are going to reject it anyway, it's not that big a deal to say you are in favor of it. In the privacy of the bosom of the Mother Church, you can sell it by saying it will stem the tide of gay marriage. lawsuits against churches and the rest of the tripe that was used to fight in California. In fact, in that setting, you can even say, "That is what needs to be said if I am to run for President these days, but DOMA and DADT are in the hands of Congress and the Court anyway, not in the hands of the President. And civil union is not going to get to the desk of the Governor of Utah anyway. And, if it ever did, gay rights organizations would be the first to oppose it."

Now, if he had actually gotten civil union through in Utah, I might be less cynical. Did he?

[No Elephants]

41. I'd take "fluent" with a drop of soy sauce.

[Revolution9]

27. freepers are already dissing him at townhall.com

saying stuff like "china is perfect for him"

LOL

[Dollface]

32. He's the guy who got disinvited to speak to some Michigan Repukes because he wasn't pure.

They had to call up the Amway billionaires to smooth things out.

http://blog.mlive.com/talkingpolitics/2009/04/utah_gov_jon_huntsman_jr.html

[No Elephants]

45. Self Delete. Wrong spot. Sorry.

[ohio2007]

30. who steps in as Utah gov. ?

[ohio2007]

31. a Mandarin-speaking former U.S. trade official with deep personal and family business ties to China,

he speaks one of their languages but i don't understand why a dem can't learn a few token phrases to get the appointment.

[No Elephants]

43. A few token phrases is all Huntsman probably knows anyway. A year in China as a Mormon

missionary, living with your own family, is not enough to make anyone fluent in Mandarin to the extent that a diplomat needs to be. Huntsman will use a translator.

Heck, even with all the linguistic resources of our State Department behind her, Hillary made a significant language gaffe in Russian. Fortunately, she was holding a box with a button on top at the time, so no one could take it seriously.

But, you don't leave a language like Mandarin to an amateur when the U.S. is dealing with a country like China.

[24601]

53. The Mormans don't send people to a country without the

language training first. And, their program is recognized as the benchmark. As a Company Commander in the early 80s, I would send my soldiers (who already were experienced DLI grads and at least 2+,3 in their language) to BYU for advanced training. It probably sticks in memory because they had to agree to live by the university's rules on alcohol and tobacco.

I'll bet Huntsman was conversationally proficient before his mission.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[No Elephants]

48. Let's see now. According to the

article linked in the OP:


"Obama said Huntsman will need to deal with China on issues including public health, climate change, violent extremism and efforts to contain North Korea’s nuclear program."


Here are Huntsman's qualifications, also according to the article, (apart from being Governor of Utah, which has less than nothing to do with foreign relations):

"Huntsman was ambassador to Singapore under former President George H.W. Bush and served as deputy U.S. trade representative under Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush.

He speaks Mandarin Chinese, the language used by government officials and some 70 percent of Chinese people. Huntsman learned it while a Mormon missionary living in Taiwan."


I really doubt he is fluent in anything but "tourist" Mandarin, but that can be handled by a translator anyway, and undoubtedly will be. As a Republican, I assume Huntsman is not a fan of going green. No indication in the article that he has any expertise in any of the areas Obama singled out as important in this job.

As an opponent of abortion, how will he be regarded by a government that requires its people to limit their families to one child for a lifetime? Will his billions be a plus or a minus?

I am not bowled over by Huntsman for this slot (or, indeed for any slot). However, if Obama thinks Huntsman might be a thread in 2012 and is taking him out preemptively, I have no problem at all with that. Of course, Huntsman's appointment could backfire in that respect, though. He would have more foreign credentials, which Governor's typically lack and, like Obama, this enables Huntsman to see that he, too, is post-partisan and able to reach across aisles.

We'll see, I guess. Stay tuned.

[rhett o rick]

50. This is making me very nervous. nm

[starroute]

51. I suspect the George H.W. Bush connection is a major factor

Recall that Bush Sr. was envoy to China himself in 1974-75. (It wasn't yet an ambassadorship because we hadn't officially recognized their government.) And his brother, Prescott Bush, Jr. has strong business ties in China and may have helped resolve that jet incident in 2001.

Add in that it was Bush Sr. who appointed Huntsman as ambassador to Singapore twenty years ago, making him the youngest US ambassador in a century. And that one of the posts above mentions that Huntsman is close to the Bushes.

Oh -- also toss in that Bill Clinton has been fairly close to Poppy Bush in recent years and that Hillary is currently Secretary of State.

To me this looks like a bone being tossed to Poppy to keep on his good side. The fact that Junior has been so uncharacteristically well-behaved since leaving office, even as the evil Dick shoots his mouth off all over the country, may also suggest that there is a certain entente going on.

Chicago-style politics? Maybe. But in this case it probably isn't going to do any harm and may be useful. At any rate, if Huntsman *is* Poppy's guy, he's unlikely to get the chance to do any LDS-style proselytizing.