It is stunning that Jon Huntsman is going to run against Barack Obama when, in responding to me, his campaign behaves exactly as someone close to Obama, or at least close to the left, would. They cite Media Matters and, in the process, defend Obamacare.

Not kidding.

Someone close to Huntsman tells Ben Smith

Ironic that someone who suggested sending President Obama to the death panel is calling someone else disloyal to the President. And based on Erickson’s track record of Republican primary endorsements, he will most likely get another bite at the apple, and when he does, we hope he closely examines Huntsman record of creating jobs, cutting taxes, and signing prolife legislation.

Note first that the suggestion of “sending President Obama to the death panel is calling someone else disloyal to the President” is actually a reference to Obamacare, but was a hit job by Media Matters. What does it say that Huntsman’s team would go after a Republican by going first to Media Matters.

Second, I did not work for the President of the United States nor serve as this President’s Ambassador to China while plotting to run against the President. I’m very clearly in the opposition and proudly so.

As for the bit about primary endorsements, perhaps Huntsman needs to talk to Sue Lowden, Jane Norton, Charlie Crist, Trey Grayson, Gresham Barrett, or . . . hey, I know! . . . Bob Bennett.

Lastly, my point, which I will reiterate here, is that Jon Huntsman’s record as Governor is irrelevant compared to his judgment that it is perfectly okay to plot a campaign for the Presidency against the incumbent President of the United States while serving as that President’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.

The disloyalty is not just to the President; it’s to the country he swore an oath to serve. One cannot serve both God and money, nor can one serve both the President of the United State of America and one’s own ambition to depose the President.

By the way, over at Slate, Dave Weigel notes

Team Huntsman doesn’t take this charge terribly seriously, given that its proponents are unable to point to actual, provable examples of how this short political grey period — roughly January 2011 to early May — affected anything in China.

First, it seems pretty clear the plotting began back in October. Second, examples do not matter in my mind. That he would do so is a matter of disloyalty as an Ambassador of the United States. Third, you think there are no examples? Just wait until Barack Obama’s team gets finished with him should he get the nomination. This man was ambassador prior to, during, and after a summit with China. There’ll be examples.