On May 16th, Time asked former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, “Candidates always start out saying they’re going to run a positive campaign and bring people together, but in the end, they get convinced by their consultants that they have to go negative or lose. Why won’t that happen to you?”
Huntsman responded, “Campaigns are an extension of the candidate and the candidate’s family. People who want to personalize and lead with negatives, I disassociate myself from them. Politics has become a business; these advisers in Washington force candidates into alleyways from which there’s no return. But the American public in today’s world is dramatically in need of serious debate, and I don’t think they feel there’s a lot of bandwidth left for personal attacks.”
That was May. Yesterday on ABC News’ This Week, Huntsman was singing a different tune. The Democratic National Committee collected the following Huntsman soundbites:
- Huntsman on the field:“We have people on the Republican side too far to the right. We have zero substance. We have no good ideas that are being circulated or talking about that allow the country to get back on its feet economically so we begin creating jobs.”
- Huntsman on Bachmann: “I wouldn’t necessarily trust any of my opponents who are on the recent debate stage with me when every single one of them would have allowed this country to default.”
- Huntsman on Perry: “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 find ourselves on the wrong side of science and therefore in a losing position.”
- Huntsman on Romney: “If we talk about inconsistencies and change on various issues, we’d be here all afternoon.”
Huntsman has now discovered he can get media attention if he goes negative on his Republican opponents. Can he do anything else? Or is helping Obama getting reelected so he can run in 2016 the only thing his campaign is about now?
Around the Bigs
The New York Times, Jubilant Rebels Control Much of Tripoli: NATO and Obama administration officials say that Moammar Gadhafi has lost control of Tripoli as rebels reportedly have arrested two of Gadhafi’s sons announced that the elite presidential guard protecting the Libyan leader had surrendered.
The Wall Street Journal, Obama Weighing Job-Training Plan: President Barack Obama’s secret plan to end unemployment will reportedly include government spending on a jobs training program for the 6.2 million Americans who have been out of work for six months or more.
The Wall Street Journal, Oil’s Slide Stalls at Pump: U.S. oil prices have fallen 38% since May, but the average pump price is only down just 9%. The gap means that economic forecasts relying on a low oil price to boost the economy may be optimistic.
CBS News, Dozens more arrested in oil pipeline protest: Approximately 64 protesters were arrested outside of the White House this weekend as part of a two-week long demonstration against the TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline.
The Wall Street Journal, Verizon Strikers Return to Work: The Communications Workers of America ended their 15-day strike against Verizon without anything to show for it. . “We have leverage when we we’re out on the picket lines, and this just hands it right back to Verizon management,” CWA member Jim McCarthy told The Journal.
The Wall Street Journal, Economists Split Over Path Forward: A National Association for Business Economics survey of economists found that roughly 49% favor a more restrictive fiscal path forward over the next two years, while 37% believe more government borrowing can stimulate the economy.
The Washington Post, Obama administration works to rekindle excitement among Hispanic voters: The Obama administration’s amnesty policy for illegal immigrants who graduate high school was announced just two days after amnesty advocates delivered tens of thousands of petitions to Obama’s reelection headquarters.
Righty Playbook
The Weekly Standard‘s Stephen Hayes explains why Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., is so close to running: “The Republican field is not addressing the debt crisis with anything beyond platitudes.”
Ed Morrissey notes that not only do Texas students perform above the national average, but they do particularly better than the student Education Secretary Arne Duncan was in charge of educating in Chicago.
Gov. Scott Walker tells Robert Costa that he won the Wisconsin recall elections.
Lefty Playbook
Daily Kos‘ Joan McCarter applauds Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., for pushing legislation that require the Super Congress to come up with a plan for job creation.
Firedoglake‘s David Dayen notes that labor contributions are down in 2011 compared to the same point in the 2010 cycle.
