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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Jon Huntsman Admitted He Was Representing Barack Obama

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  June 21st, 2011 at 07:54 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

One of the big excuses and counters to my argument that Jon Huntsman was disloyal to the President of the United States was that he wasn’t representing the President, but the United States.

And the people who make this argument usually say something like, “Well, he may have been disloyal to Obama, but he wasn’t loyal to the country and that’s who he represented.”

Except Jon Huntsman, in his own words, saw it differently. In a letter to Barack Obama dated August 16, 2009, in additional to calling Obama a “remarkable leader”, Huntsman wrote that he appreciated the President’s confidence in Huntsman’s “ability to represent you in China.”

So Jon Huntsman admitted he was representing Barack Obama to the Chinese, not the United States in generally. And he publicly began consideration of a Presidential campaign against the man he admitted he represented before ceasing that representation. The Newsweek article where he admitted he was considering it happened at the beginning of this year. Huntsman didn’t leave China until May 1st.

Republicans should not honor disloyalty to the President at this level, regardless of who that President may be.

Here’s Huntsman in his own words:

Huntsmanletter

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COMMENTS

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  • Goldwater_Conservative

    that as ambassador he wasn’t really representing the President isn’t playing with a full deck. That point isnt even debatable. Again, the only plausible defense I can see is that Obama’s term is up, its not like Huntsman is plotting an overthrow, he served his president during his duly elected term and when its up he, along with anyone else, has the right to put his name in the hat for the new job.

  • gekster

    via drudge:
    from:
    http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/21/top-dem-picks-huntsman/

    excerpt:
    Washington (CNN) ? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid ventured into the 2012 presidential waiting game Tuesday, offering up his pick for the Republican presidential nomination.

    “If I had a choice, I would favor Huntsman over Romney,” Reid told reporters after a meeting on Capitol Hill. “But I don’t have a choice in that race.”

    Do you really need to know more.

  • madair

    You talk about Huntsman as if he were plotting a revolution. The two main political parties may be adversaries, but they are not enemies. Political allies in one context routinely become political adversaries in another. That happens both within and between parties.

    There was speculation that one of the reasons Obama chose Huntsman to serve as ambassador was to keep his star from rising any further in the Republican party. Why would you want to help Obama achieve his political goals?

    Huntsman served the country honorably and effectively as ambassador to China. His experience there should help qualify him for the presidency, not disqualify him. Support or oppose him based on his position on the issues, not because Obama happened to recognize and use his talents.

  • http://whattoreadtoday.blogspot.com/ Paula

    If so, how would that affect his campaign? Would questions about China be off the table in a debate? Would Huntsman be constrained from criticizing Obama on his China policy? Would it harm our relationship with China for the outgoing Chinese ambassador to criticize its policies, such as its well-known cyber hacking of U.S. government officials and businesses (and Obama’s response)?

  • http://www4.webng.com/rickbull/lostlucky/ rickbull

    since Trump contributed to Reid’s campaign.

  • Remington_Steele

    then maybe the point wasn’t that strong to begin with.

    Erick, you do a great job on so many things, but I don’t see you winning over those of your readership that are critical about these arguments of Jon Huntsman’s faithfulness as an Ambassador. Jon Huntsman has so many many issues as a moderate, he doesn’t have a lot of supporters here, but you keep gnawing on this bone. It feels counter-productive.

    “Republicans should not honor disloyalty to the President.” What disloyalty? He did what everyone thought he would do which is run in 2012. Did he undermine the President in China? Do you have evidence? Loyalty as an Ambassador is judged by what he did as an Ambassador. OK, lets all agree he knowingly started his run for president before he left his ambassadorship. There are two major reasons why your dismay with Huntsman doesn’t resonate with me:

    1. As an Ambassador, what specific evidence do you have that he undermined the President? Could he have? Sure, but so could have any of the Ambassadors. Being able to do so and doing so are different.

    2. Obama knew Huntsman was a potential candidate before he picked him and yet he picked him! I will not reward Obama for killing any GOP candidate’s future for taking on a task the President asks of him, especially if that pick was for political reasons.

    As a candidate, Huntsman has to win me over and he is not doing that. Yet, his behavior as Ambassador is not one of the reasons why.

  • http://www4.webng.com/rickbull/lostlucky/ rickbull

    A psychological component that is weak or non-existent in the liberal mind is “in-group loyalty.” Conservatives have a strong sense of in-group loyalty as part of their personalities, thus we tend to view other Americans as our allies, whether we agree with their politics or not. Liberals do not share this trait: case in point, look at how frequently they throw their own under the bus on the liberal blogs. They feel very little loyalty even to their political allies. I consider them fellow Americans, but I do not trust them to feel the same way about me or anyone on the conservative side.

    They are not our enemies, but we ARE theirs.

  • minncon

    … at least it will be in my house. A scheming RINO is worse than all the rest.

  • spinoneone

    is the official title of the man or woman who represents the head of state of one nation to the head of state of another nation and is empowered to speak for and in the name of the head of state who sent him/her to be the chief representative of both him/herself and nation to the receiving nation and its head of state. Therefore, the Ambassador is the personal representative of his head of state and is authorized to speak for both his nation and his head of state. Huntsman most certainly did that in Beijing.

    Huntsman strikes me as a moderate, Rockefeller sort of Republican. That is not really what I want in our next President, to say nothing of one of the Republican candidates for either President or Vice President. No give on fiscal probity or smaller government; on the social side, maybe a little.

  • Tbone

    at Walmart, Turn Huntsman over and he has “Made in China” tattooed on his butt.

  • dbass

    I do not support ?bama, I do not support Huntsman. . .
    Birds of a feather.

  • dcgator

    Michele Bachmann released classified information during a debate because she sits on the Intelligence Committee.

    Elected officials are smart enough (I hope) that they know whats classified and whats not, and what can be part of public discourse.

    Non issue

  • rivahmitch

    We disagree on this one. I’ve no problem with his disloyalty to ObeyMe. The reason I’d never support Huntsman is his disloyalty to the country in being willing to represent and support support Obey Me. How can you be sure that his reason for seeking the nomination isn’t to cause conservatives to sit on our hands come election day insuring the kenyan fascist’s victory? Huntsman as nominee would say to me that “there’s no hope at the ballot box… invest in ammo”.

  • edintexas

    Given this was madair’s first post on RS, I think there is a distinct possibility you might have been responding to a Huntsman campaign staffer. They certainly need to keep track of what is being said about their candidate on RS.

  • gunslingr45

    well he sold me. A traitor is a traitor and can never be trusted PERIOD. Of course I have always felt that way about them before Erick pointed him out.
    I dislike anyone who sings Obumber’s praises because they are either a fool or a liar. Which is he and why would I want him as prez?

    ?I would be a poor Commander in Chief?
    ? Barack Obama, July 3 2008
    I think he meant it!

  • gunslingr45

    So many RINO?s so little time!

  • gunslingr45

    still think he is Obumber’s plant. If he got hairy’s endorsment I would not touch the lever with a ten foot pole.

    So many RINO’s, So little time!

  • macperr

    Could be Huntsman is looking for job as VP if obama wins in 2012.
    I will not vote for huntsman, if disloyal to president, disloyal to America,
    For a personal letter written to the president:
    Dear Mr President? Why not Dear President obama?
    And that obama is a remarkable leader > that’s a joke………….

  • macperr

    ditto

  • sarg01

    I’m just not so sure about this one.

    A thank you letter from one politician to another is pretty much going to be full of pure fluff and ego stroking. What else to expect?

    “Thank you for appointing me. I’m glad to work with you on foreign policy with respect to China, but I sure hope you don’t socialize healthcare or close Guantanamo while you’re at it”?

  • oldmarine

    I wouldn’t vote for this rino .He will be the favorite of the MSM as they know Barry would beat him in an election ,but it won’t happen. We won’t have another McCain 2.0 light that will lose to this socialist community organizer..The country can’t stand 4 more years of socialist spending.

  • MF

    While this particular issue (of loyalty to Obama and/or loyalty to America) is important to some, and not to others, what’s painfully obvious to anyone is that it’s not even worth discussing. Jon Huntsman has no chance at all of winning the Republican party presidential nomination. I highly doubt he even has a chance at the VP nomination, but that’s got to be what he’s really angling for. What we need to focus on is making sure that Romney does NOT get the nomination, and that it instead goes to a conservative in both social as well as fiscal issues.

    Naturally, if Romney does win the nomination anyway (and if he does, it will be because the establishment trumps the Tea Party, which I still doubt), he’ll be another McCain – conservatives holding their noses to vote for him, and the base doesn’t get excited for him, and we’ve just increased the likelihood that Obama gets a 2nd term.

  • MF

    While this particular issue (of loyalty to Obama and/or loyalty to America) is important to some, and not to others, what’s painfully obvious to anyone is that it’s not even worth discussing. Jon Huntsman has no chance at all of winning the Republican party presidential nomination. I highly doubt he even has a chance at the VP nomination, but that’s got to be what he’s really angling for. What we need to focus on is making sure that Romney does NOT get the nomination, and that it instead goes to a conservative in both social as well as fiscal issues.

    Naturally, if Romney does win the nomination anyway (and if he does, it will be because the establishment trumps the Tea Party, which I still doubt), he’ll be another McCain – conservatives holding their noses to vote for him, and the base doesn’t get excited for him, and we’ve just increased the likelihood that Obama gets a 2nd term.

  • Remington_Steele

    those of your readership that are critical about these arguments of Jon Huntsman?s faithfulness as an Ambassador.

    gs, I have no problem with people that agree with Erick. I can see why you, others and Erick may feel that way about Huntsman. Yet, several of us seem to be not sold on the argument and Erick’s posted several times about it. It just feels like the horse is beaten and dead. Let’s move on to the real issues way Huntsman stinks as a candidate.

  • Remington_Steele

    those of your readership that are critical about these arguments of Jon Huntsman?s faithfulness as an Ambassador.

    gs, I have no problem with people that agree with Erick. I can see why you, others and Erick may feel that way about Huntsman. Yet, several of us seem to be not sold on the argument and Erick’s posted several times about it. It just feels like the horse is beaten and dead. Let’s move on to the real issues way Huntsman stinks as a candidate.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth
  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    Anyone who at any time considered obama a ‘remarkable leader’ is a poor judge of leadership.

    Anyone who donated to Sen Reid’s campaign and made Sen Reid’s son a U of Utah regent is a poor judge of leadership.

    Anyone who thinks being nice to the Democrats is a good campaign strategy is a poor judge of leadership.

    I dont get nor care about Obama loyalty/disloyalty, but I do care about conservative convictions and judgement.

    Huntsman is a RINO who thinks highly of the worst President in our lifetime. Gimme a break. He needs to be laughed off the stage.

  • Carol Tarasewicz

    Huntsman is a RINO. We have enough of them and his family gave $25,000 to Harry Reid. I think that says all we need to know.
    I agreed with Erick since his first post on Huntsman and loyalty, and do so now.

  • http://www4.webng.com/rickbull/lostlucky/ rickbull

    he or she is probably not too happy with most of the comments about Jon that I have seen here. I rank Huntsman right up there with John McCain and Lindsey Graham: all three need to grow a pair.