Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- In another sign that Jon Huntsman Jr. is losing his battle for a bid at the White House, the Democratic Party welcomed the former governor's comments on ABC's "This Week" as Huntsman attacked the Republican front-runners.
Huntsman appeared on Sunday's show, criticizing former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for his flip- flopping, Texas Governor Rick Perry for being anti-science and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann for her less-than- serious attitude about the current state of the economy.
Following the airing of "This Week," DNC National Press Secretary Melanie Roussell wrote on their website that Huntsman was "reiterating what we already know about the Republican field of presidential candidates: that they have ‘zero substance,' are ‘too far to the right,' and can't be trusted with the economy."
"We have people on the Republican side too far to the right. We have zero substance. We have no good ideas being circulated or talking about that allow the country to get back on its feet economically so we begin creating jobs," Huntsman said.
The minute the Republican Party becomes the party -- the anti-science party -- we have a huge problem.
–Jon Huntsman
Roussell added that the Democrats "couldn't agree more" with Huntsman's comments.
When asked by ABC's Jake Tapper about the flat tax system he established as governor of Utah and Romney's support of a similar plan as a national model, Huntsman said: "I know in 1996, he was against a flat tax. If we were to talk about his inconsistencies -- the changes on various issues -- we'd be here all afternoon."
Tapper went on to question Huntsman about recent comments made from newly-announced candidate Rick Perry where he said: "I don't think, from my perspective, that I want to be engaged in spending that much money on still a scientific theory that has not been proven. From my perspective, it's being more and more put into question."
Huntsman, who's previously declared his position on man- made global warming, criticized the Texas governor, saying: "I think there's a serious problem. The minute the Republican Party becomes the party -- the anti-science party -- we have a huge problem. We lose a whole lot of people, who would otherwise allow us to win the election in 2012 when we take a position that isn't willing to embrace evolution. We take a position that basically runs counter to what 98 of 100 climate scientists have said with what the National Academy of Science has said -- what is causing climate change and man's contribution to it. We find ourselves on the wrong side of science and therefore in a losing position."
We live in the real world, it's grounded in reality, and gas prices aren't just going to rebound like that.
–Huntsman
The former governor went on to condemn Perry's controversial comments about Fed Chairman Ben Bernacke when he said printing more money was "treasonous."
"I don't know if that's pre-secession Texas or post- secession Texas," Huntsman said. "But in any event, I'm not sure that the average voter out there is going to hear that treasonous remark and say that sounds like a presidential candidate -- that sounds like someone who is serious on the issues."
Huntsman added: "And this just kind of perpetuates the name calling and the finger-pointing and the blame game where we want solutions. … And every time we have these sideshows take place -- finger pointing and name calling -- it takes us that much farther off the ball, which is fixing our core in this country, is getting our economy fixed and creating jobs."
Huntsman also attacked Michele Bachmann on her position of guaranteeing a reduction in gasoline prices to under $2 a gallon if elected president.
"I don't know what world that comment would come from. We live in the real world, it's grounded in reality, and gas prices aren't just going to rebound like that," Huntsman said. "Just as we are in a static world, that is completely unrealistic. And again, it's talking about things that may pander to a particular group, or sound good at the time, but it's simply not founded in reality."
He went on to criticize all of the Republican presidential candidates for supporting the debt deal, calling out Bachmann's position specifically as a "crash and burn" approach.
"Well, I wouldn't necessarily trust any of my opponents right now who were on a recent debate stage with me when every single one of them would have allowed this country to default," Huntsman said. "I have to say that there was zero leadership on display in terms of my opponents. Leaders -- zero leadership on display in terms of the president -- who should have used the bully pulpit well ahead of time."
Huntsman's comments, no doubt, do little for his chances at securing the Republican nomination. Instead, he has succumbed to the same rhetoric he sharply criticizes about his fellow Republican opponents as taking part in.
As a candidate that said he would take the high road in his announcement speech, it comes as a surprise that Huntsman would so quickly transform his early ideals about a civil campaign.
Recent polling shows Romney, Perry and Bachmann as the most likely GOP contenders to challenge incumbent President Barack Obama in next year's election. Huntsman's poor numbers have him at the bottom of nearly every national poll involving Republican presidential candidates.
----
Lanny Wiles resigned from Jon Huntsman's presidential campaign Friday to return to the private sector.
"I sent Governor Huntsman a letter of resignation today informing him I wish to return to my lobbying and government affairs practice in Tallahassee and Washington," Wiles told Politico. "I wished he and his family the best. I look forward to returning to the real world."
Wiles' wife, Susie Wiles, was Huntsman's campaign manager before resigning in July.
Email: jfurlong@ksl.com
