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SALT LAKE CITY — Jon Huntsman is in the spotlight after his most critical remarks yet against the Republican Party. The former GOP presidential hopeful is drawing comparisons to Communist China.
Huntsman told reporter Jeff Greenfield at the 92nd Street Y in New York Sunday night, "This is what they do in China on party matters if you talk off script."
Huntsman was disinvited from a GOP fundraiser in Florida in March after he called for a third party alternative during an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe in February.
"Gone are the days when the Republican Party used to put forward big, bold, visionary stuff. I think we're going to have problems politically until we get some sort of third party movement or some alternative voice out there that can put forward new ideas," he said in February.
Politico reports Monday morning that Huntsman claims his remark was taken out of context and he was "waxing philosophical" when he made the comment.
Monday morning he told MSNBC's Morning Joe, "I said, you know, if you're not on-script and you get knocked out of an event like that - the parties are supposed to be big-tent, you're supposed to bring in all ideas - and I said, I thought for a moment about what they do in China if you go off-script. The party, they knock you out."
He was asked Sunday night if he could win the nomination of the Republican Party in Utah today. He said no. He also said Ronald Reagan couldn't win the Republican nomination nationally because of the current political climate.
Huntsman also is standing by his lukewarm endorsement of Mitt Romney, though his comments about the presumptive GOP nominee are anything but glowing. Huntsman says Romney must campaign on more than fear and provide a "positive alternative" to President Obama.
