Gov. Huntsman (R-UT): Republican Congressional Leadership 'Inconsequential' and Hypocritical

[camera obscura]

In an interview with the Washington Times, the Republican governor of Utah on Monday said his party's leaders in Congress' lack of new ideas renders them so "inconsequential" that he doesn't even bother to talk to them.

"I don't even know the congressional leadership," Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. told the paper's editors and reporters. "I have not met them. I don't listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential -- completely." Huntsman added that he would not reject any money from President Obama's stimulus. While he criticized what he saw as misdirected spending in bill, he said Republicans had no credibility on fiscal responsibility.

"Our moral soapbox was completely taken away from us because of our behavior in the last few years," he said. "For us to now criticize analogous behavior is hypocrisy. We've got to come at it a different way. We've got to prove the point. It can't be as the Chinese would say, 'fei hua,' empty words."

Huntsman recently made waves when a spokeman announced that the governor supported civil unions for gay couples. Utah has a constitutional ban on gay marriage and domestic unions.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/24/gop-governor-congressiona_n_169529.html

[ej510]

1. His party will eat him alive for not supporting the obstructiveness plan.

[Hamlette]

4. Not so sure

here in Utah we have a crazy state senator (Butters) saying insane things about "the gay" ("a bigger threat to America than anything else") plus the church supporting prop 8.

Huntsman is trying to strike out a moderate middle ground and run for prez in '12 or '16. He thinks that the only way for the GOP to survive is to move back to the middle. Huntsman came out last week in favor of civil unions for gays. (No, it is NOT perfect but this is Utah so it is very progressive for a Mormon Republican to say gays should be treated "equally".)

The crazy right wing of the state legislature hates him but they hated all our previous governors too (all were too moderate for the nazis on the hill). So he's not gonna lose any more here than he's already lost.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Wow...no big love for the R-Establishment from Utah

[Happyhippychick]

3. Republican cannibalism...mmmm....

[ClarkUSA]

5. Well, that's one Republican who isn't interested in running for President...

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6. It's possible that he wants to run in 2012 as a moderate. That would be interesting.

[ClarkUSA]

9. That'd be like Democrats having Joe Lieberman run. It's a no go for the base.

Plus he's a Mormon, which is an anathema to the wingnut evangelical loonies that make up most of the Republican base vote
in the Midwest and South.

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10. It does seem a long shot. The only way he could win is with strong fundraising and taking NH & NV.

That could be enough to make him something of a frontrunner in '12, but it's far too early to start predicting the future.

[ClarkUSA]

13. Only an evangelical Protestant GOP wingnut will make it out of Iowa politically alive in 2012.

Iowa Republican base are made up of rightwingnut fundies that make Pat Robertson look moderate.

[fujiyama]

7. How's that strategy Steele was laying out?

Of completely obstructing the stimulus. Haha!

So we've got at least three republican governors that are willing to take the money - Arnie, Crist, Huntsman...anyone else? Between this and his support for civil unions a few weeks ago, he sounds *gasp* moderate. I didn't know such republicans existed.

[Renew Deal]

8. I agree with Huntsman

As long as the republicans want to behave like kids that didn't get their way, they are inconsequential. They need to look at Spector, Snowe, and Collins. They plaid ball and actually got some of what they want.

[Number23]

11. Love it! lolol Big fat KnR from me!

:)

[Uzybone]

12. Wow

A Utah republican?????

Wow.

[LynneSin]

14. Now this is a republican that could make waves against the democrats

Seriously!