Governor Huntsman (R-UT) to resign and accept Obama appointment - ambassador to China

[jefferson_dem]

This is surprising. Huntsman is seen as a top-tier "up and comer" in the Repug Party. I'm amazed he would jump over to a position in the Obama Admin.

Governor Huntsman to resign and accept Obama appointment

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will resign and accept an appointment as ambassador to China, ABC 4 has confirmed.

A press conference has been called for Saturday morning at the White House to announce the appointment.

The appointment will most likely mean that Gary Herbert will become Utah's next governor. Since Huntsman has only served a few months into his second term, a special election will most likely be called in 2010.

The U.S. Senate will have to confirm the appointment.

Again, ABC 4 has confirmed that President Barack Obama has offered the China ambassadorship to Utah Governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr. and that Huntsman will accept the appointment.

Stay tuned to ABC 4 News and ABC4.com for more on this developing story.

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top%20stories/story/Governor-Huntsman-to-resign-and-accept-Obama/M9g_XHw4nECKmfUlKTw3UQ.cspx

[Colobo]

1. That's a blow to many Republicans. The fact that Huntsman has decided to work with Obama

will kill his chances to be on the top of the Republican ticket in 2012.

[jefferson_dem]

3. I'm thinking he's reading tea leaves and sees 2012 as a tough haul for any Repug.

n/t

[Colobo]

4. True. Still, Repugs will feel the sting. And we all like that.

[beac]

18. He figured out it was better to be the ambassador to a country exporting cheap crap than

the standard bearer of a party of homegrowing cheap crap.

[Baby Snooks]

46. Cheap crap made with chemicals made by Huntsman...

His family business is in bad straits. But of course some expanded ties with China and through China would help immensely. Which is probably why he's off to China. Business as usual in Washington.

But the politically correct love him. He stood up to the Mormon Church and called for gay marriage knowing full well the Mormon Church isn't going to say a word to one of its major benefactors. So he's suddenly the white knight on the white horse. A liberal Republican.

Who'd have thought? Only a bunch of fools.

[blm]

50. Huntsman is a Bush Empire Man - ProBushInc players ALWAYS get the China job.

Poppy Bush and Jackson Stephens pushed the global fascist agenda thru their alliance with Chinese industrialists in the 70s and WalMart's grip on the working poor and the cities they live in is an obvious result of their fascist agenda.

[vaberella]

2. Hah. n/t

[Cha]

5. Wonder what DrunkenIrishman thinks

of this since he lives in Utah?

[Hawkeye-X]

6. or heiderheld

:hi: :loveya:

[Cha]

7. Right..

Ooooga Boooga!~

[Hamlette]

37. I live in Utah and work closely with some in his admin. Ask me anything.

I'm legal counsel for the unemployment and welfare office in Utah. I've met him a couple of times but wouldn't say I know him but I work very closely with his legal counsel, Tani Downing.

I think he's a decent guy and would be a democrat in any other state but Utah. He's not bad on the environment or gay rights and has been pretty decent on doing what he can, given our right wing legislature, for the poor in Utah.

[Cha]

49. Thank you, Hamlette..

I hadn't heard of this Gov until now and it's a pleasant surprise!

I saw "Obama appointed gop Gov to be ambassador to China and I thought.."oh".

Should be very interesting.

[FrenchieCat]

8. Maybe it's a trap!

Governor Hunstman -

[Hello_Kitty]

9. He seems like a decent Repub. eom

[Thrill]

10. This is interesting. Why would he do that? I know no one wants to be a Governor right now

But he seemed to be the guy Plouffe was most worried about in the Repuke Party.

[Thrill]

12. Probably wants to pad his resume for a Presidential run.

not against Obama but after Obama's second term

[grantcart]

39. You will see a lot of Republicans leaving the House and Senate

they know that they are going to be in the minority for atleast 12-16 years and out of any real power.

Any real politician knows that you have to be a committee chairman to have real influence.

[blm]

51. He's a Poppy Bush man - they ALWAYS get the China gig. This move BLOWS.

.

[Jennicut]

11. He is one of the few decent Repugs left...so he jumped ship to the Obama administration

Reading about him lately I am not that surprised.

[jenmito]

13. Wow! Huntsman was all the talk just last week as the fresh new face for the GOP in '12!

:rofl:

[Cha]

19. That's too rich! I knew nothing 0 about

him until now~

[PopSixSquish]

14. Well What Do You Know

Two weeks after Plouffe says that Huntsman is the Republican he fears most, Huntsman becomes Ambassador to China. This is probably one of the highest profile and most important ambassadorships going right now.

Things that make you go hmmmm....

Welcome to the dark side Ambassador Huntsman, we have cookies...

[Thrill]

21. Obama must have told him its going to be important

why else would he leave being a Governor to do it??

[blm]

53. China's been important for decades - no surprise a Bush loyalist gets this job - they ALWAYS do.

All BushInc needs to do is get some of THEIR inside Dem guys to convince the new Dem administration that it's a smart move politically.

[bluestateguy]

15. He was one rival I was rather worried about for 2012

But he probably saw that he could not get out of a GOP primary because:

1) He's Mormon (they don't like that in South Carolina.
2) He's for cap and trade
3) He supported the stimulus
4) He's for civil unions for gays (Republicans prefer separate and unequal, rather than separate but equal).

[FrenchieCat]

17. Hell, he might as well just be a Democrat then!

[Thrill]

20. I thought he was not only for civil unions but Gay marriage as well.

When you think about it. What makes him a Repuke?

[FrenchieCat]

22. Maybe that's why he will be Obama's Ambassador to China instead

of belonging to the Party of NO! :shrug:

[Colobo]

23. Maybe it's just a matter of time before he joins our side...

[DrToast]

24. He's pretty fiscally conservative...

He's just NOT a wacko on things like social issues and the environment.

[Cha]

26. Maybe being an Ambassador to China

will cure him of his whackoness on the Environment.

[DrToast]

28. Doh! Sorry....I messed up my post

He's just NOT a wacko on things like social issues and the environment.

Someone asked why he's still a Republican. It's because he's fiscally conservative.

[Cha]

30. Oh good..'cause that

makes more sense:)

[Hamlette]

38. he does not support gay marriage but was pretty vocal in supporting civil unions

after the elections (of course)

He's anti abortion.

[Baby Snooks]

47. Well actually he's a Republicrat....

Along with a growing number of Republicans AND Democrats. "Of the corporation, by the corporation, for the corporation." The motto of the Republicrat Party.

[ShadowLiberal]

29. Yeah Huntsman would have been a dangerous opponent, wonder why he'd resign though

Huntsman for sure could have been a dangerous opponent in 2012, or 2016, because unlike most republicans considering a run for president Huntsman actually gets why the GOP is losing. He sees that the GOP's positions on gay rights & global warming are what's murdering their party's support the most among the under 30 crowd, and wants to change that part of the party. He also doesn't have a delusional memory of Reagan, he knows the guy was much more pragmatic then most GOPers want to admit, Huntsman worked in the Reagan administration as an aide and knew him personally.

Still, I wonder why he'd resign as governor for this, even if he wanted to run for president, doing it from the governor's mansion, or as a former governor who served 2 terms, is usually a great starting point. Maybe he just got fed up with things in Utah and the radical republicans he had to work with who were too unrealistic/partisan for him. Or maybe a bunch of law makers have made his life as miserable as possible ever since he came out in support for civil unions for gays, he was very brave to come out in support of it in what's probably the most socially conservative state in the union (though it's true that he came out in favor of it after winning his second term to the governor's mansion).

[Cha]

31. And, maybe he's the guy who likes

the kind of challenge an Ambassadorship to China would bring in these historic times?

[Hamlette]

35. He supported the stimulus but won't call a special session since UT legislature turned down UI money

Other states have gotten more press but Utah turned down the unemployment money in the stimulus bill. Rumor last week was Huntsman was going to call a special session to try to get them to take the money. I heard late last week that Huntsman was NOT calling a special session to get the money. Now I know why.

Huntsman is a decent guy and I think he'll run for prez in 2016. I hated him at first because he's a Utah republican and a pretty boy and I though the was riding his dad's coat tails but he's turned out to be a decent guy. He's pretty decent on the environment and gay rights and he's never really made me pull my hair out like our last governor did (Levitt). He's been a great protector of general assistance (as was Levitt) which provides for people who can't work. He'd be a dem in any other state.

His dad gave tons of money to start a cancer research and treatment facility here when his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. He's one of those rich people who use at least some of their money for good.

I'm in Utah, btw, and am legal counsel for the unemployment and welfare office. We work closely with his office. He's surrounded himself with pretty decent people (except his Lt Governor who I think is kind of a right wing looney prick, have to see what he does in the next year prior to the special election.)

[firedupdem]

16. Good! n/t

[DrToast]

25. I was hoping this guy would become a leader in the Republican party

If the Republican party looked more like Hunstman, the country would be a better place. Of course, given the state of the Republican party he probably never stood a chance of being a leader.

[camera obscura]

27. So he's putting aside his ambitions and selflessly serving at the request of the President?

What a RINO. ;)

[SamCooke]

40. sounds to good to be true. I don't trust him.

[Thrill]

32. Apparently he also has an adopted daughter from China

.

[Common Sense Party]

34. And he speaks fluent Mandarin, having served a mission in

Taiwan for 2 years in his youth.

[Hamlette]

36. And they adopted a daughter from India too n/t

[DU GrovelBot]

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[asphalt.jungle]

41. I like Rolling Stone's take

http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2009/05/15/huntsman-to-china/

Huntsman to China

5/15/09, 11:54 pm EST

Having talked to a bevy of top Republicans for my GOP meltdown piece in the latest issue of the magazine, I can tell you that there was only one prospective presidential candidate who made any damn sense, and Obama has just coopted him, naming Utah governor John Huntsman Jr. as ambassador to China.

Like many of Obama’s best moves this makes sense both on policy and political levels. Politically, it appears to remove the charismatic and sensible Huntsman from the 2012 arena. On a policy level, the choice elevates a fluent Mandarin speaker with ambassadorial experience in Asia and a deep interest in trade issues into a pivotal post charged with engaging America’s most important “frien-emy.”

Well played Mr. President

[Rowdyboy]

42. One of their smartest guys comes to work for us in a key position....

He's forever "tainted" in their tiny minds just for representing his country. We get an excellent ambassador and they lose one of their best potential candidates. A good day all around.

[RomanHoliday]

43. I just wonder what he gets in return..

I mean, Ambassador to China is a great post and all but if he's looking to run for higher office sometime (I assume 2016), being a popular governor is much more useful.

Who knows, maybe he actually believes in what he's doing..

[Baby Snooks]

48. Oh, he believes in what he's doing..

http://www.financialweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081215/REG/812159988/1011/MA

China is the future. For Huntsman anyway.

[fujiyama]

44. Wow, what a play .

Obama's political skills should never be underestimated. This was a brilliant move.

I don't know much about Huntsman other than his moderate stance on the environment and gay rights. I was impressed to hear support for civil unions from a Mormon Governor of Utah of all places. Very impressive. I also know he chastised republicans recently and took the stimulus money as well. I can't imagine him being too popular in a party where Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh are now the most venerated icons.

This also likely removes a possible contender for 2012. I think he may be a formidable GOP candidate, if he ever survives their primaries which is really doubtful. At this point, anyone dissenting with the Limbaugh crowd is being cast in the fire...

[blm]

52. Democrats are the ones being played. Huntsman is a global fascist loyal to GHWBush.

Poppy's boys ALWAYS get tapped for China. Obama is following in Bill Clinton's footsteps, which is exactly what many of us hoped he would NOT do.

[LeftishBrit]

45. Well it's nice and far away, I suppose - 'Ambassador to Outer Mongolia' might be even better

If the space programme advances, perhaps some Republicans and Tories could become Ambassadors to Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, etc.