(CNN) – Jon Huntsman unleashed new attack lines on two of his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination Friday.
The former Utah governor called Mitt Romney a "perfectly lubricated weather vane" and Herman Cain "the flavor of the week," in an interview with Wolf Blitzer.
Huntsman continued popular criticism of Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, by accusing him of changing his positions on issues including Libya, the debt ceiling and Ohio's bill to limit the collective bargaining rights of union workers.
"You can't be a perfectly lubricated weather vane on the important issues of the day," Huntsman said. "Romney has been missing in action in terms of showing any kind of leadership."
"I do believe that the electorate this go around will be looking for clearly defined presidential leadership and I'm not sure we're seeing that," Huntsman added.
The former U.S. ambassador to China who has received single digit support in national and state-wide polls also suggested Cain's rise in recent polling is temporary.
"Oftentimes you can spike for the moment, you're the flavor of the week or the flavor of the month," Huntsman said. "I remember when Gov. Perry was at 20% in New Hampshire. He came with great fanfare, now he's in the low single digits."
"We're just trying a steady, gradual, substantive rise in New Hampshire based upon real support," Huntsman said.
– Watch the full interview with Huntsman on CNN's "The Situation Room" at 4 p.m. ET.
Watch The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer weekdays at 5pm to 7pm ET and Saturdays at 6pm ET. For the latest from The Situation Room click here.
From CNN Politics
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help
Huntsman is the only serious candidate the Republicans have. If he doesn't get the nomination, it will be a damn shame. It shows how far the GOP has slipped from reality.
Huntsman is just reitterating what the DNC has been saying all along about Willard "Lord of the FF" Romney. He has no solid convictions and doesn't stand on any principles. As far as Cain goes, HA!! Hunstman is the ONLY person out of the GOP field I would consider voting for and I don't even agree with his policy agenda. But he's the most sane out of the field and the most competant.
I am no fan of the Republicans but I do like Huntsman. He is well-informed, smart, and independent in his views. With such good qualities he will never see the light of day in the myopic, neanderthal Republican party. It is pretty sad of the collection of misfit toys that they have up there now. What an embarrassment for this great nation. It is a shame. I think he would be a strong national candidate.
"perfectly lubricated weathervane" has to be one of the funniest things I've heard this entire campaign! Good show Huntsman!
As easily predicted, Romney is going down with a whimper. He is not presidential material – never was.
this guy is the only normal repub. in the race. the GOP is so blinded by their own ideaolgy they cannot see that this guy is presidential material. the fact that he is at 1-2% in the GOP polls tells you why they cannot win the election. I am a democrat but the only way you can beat president Obama is to run someone who actually is moderate and NOT a nut case like the rest of the GOP field.
Romney is the only candidate that can beat Obama and the only candidate that has the experience to change Washington... you forgot to mention that Mr. Huntsman. Your support is failing fast. Until reading this article, I thought you had already dropped out. You're almost invisible.
Well huntsman I am quite happy you don't have chance in the narrow minded teapug party to have a chance to challenge Obama, And you'r right, that's all I have to say.
It is a good thing that insanity is in vogue with the GOP this election cycle, otherwise, this man could be a threat to President Obama.
Hey. Mr. Ambassador, watch this.
Raise your hand if you know what Amb. Huntsman's plan is for job creation.
Raise your hand if you know what Amb. Huntsman's plan is for reduction of the national debt.
Raise your hand if you know what Amb. Hunstman's opinion is of the Occupy Wall Street protestors.
I don't see many volunteers, Mr. Ambassador.
Ridiculous. Hunstman has absolutely zero chance at the nomination. Huntsman echoing DNC criticism of one of his fellow candidates, the one most likely to be facing Obama in the general election, is counter-intuitive for the party and frankly quite petty. If you know that you have no chance and can't poll above 1%, why would you continue to tear down your fellows? I include Santorum in this as well. It is childish, and reflects poorly on us all.
Top dog always get attacked by smaller dogs. King of the hill should expect pot shots. Unfortunately, Mr. Hunstman spouting off makes him look weak and feeble. He has no chance of winning anything. Close up shop. Romney is our man. 2012!
If the president is elected by the public (at least to the extent that this is true under our electoral college system) why shouldn't he change his mind at times propose plans and endorse ideas that the majority of people want? Of course you can't just follow popular opinion since the average voter is not an expert on economics, foreign policy, national defense etc. but why shouldn't a candidate consider what the public wants when he's defining his issues? I am in no way a supporter of Romney or any of the other repubican candidates, but I'd rather have a flip-flopper who listens to the voters when it makes sense to dso so than an idealogue or pledge signer who does not leave himself any options.
That one is amusing.
Now that was funny, and provides a perfect Romney visual!
Who is Jon Huntsman?
I'll probably write in Huntsman unless polls show it's really close in my state. Neither Obama nor Romney does anything for me.
This liberal agrees Huntsman is the only sane choice coming from the gop campaign. So I'm sure he won't stand a chance.
Let me echo what Bill and joe above have said. Huntsman is the only sane Republican with his hat in the ring. The problem for him is that the Republican party that would have welcomed an intelligent, educated and experienced candidate of his caliber no longer exists. It has been replaced by an assembly of angry, ignorant and irrational ideologues who elevate baseless belief and personal preference over science and real, fact-based knowledge. The scary part is that the GOP gathers so much support. It is as if the nation is sliding into a collective insanity that we may not recover from. Just Saying...
Huntsman = Best qualified candidate to beat Obama.
Therefor, he has ZERO chance of being the Republican nominee. They will run Perry, Cain, or Romney and then implode trying to blame each other over how they lost.
Huntsman is smart, the only one with diplomatic experience, and he has strong convictions, even if he isn't the most conservative.
After spending millions on Mittens, I know the Koch brothers are not going to like Huntsman's comment, but he is right on this time. Romberg has taken every side of most of the issues, but his followers love Mittens' indecision and lack of a spine.
Huntsman and Newt Gingrich are both underachievers!!! hahaaaaa!
How can anyone write that Mittens has any experience and can change Washington? Mittens is getting his campaign money from the lobbyists, big oil, big corporations, Wall Street and big banks. He owes them, and that means more republican warfare on the middle class.
One thing I have against Huntsman is that he owns eight companies in China, why doesnt the guy move those companies to the United States. This is true, check it out. Huntsman would encourage other companies to move to China, not the U.S.A.
I look forward to voting for Obama again, and seeing him accomplish more great things in his second term, but Huntsman sounds like a decent guy.
Neither Huntsman or Romney have the right stuff. Both have backgrounds that are questionable to any conservative
@Just Saying
You hit the nail firmly on the head. The abject stupidity and purposeful ignorance that are lauded in today's [R] party is pathetic. It is the very reason that someone like Huntsman wil not come even close to getting the nomination.....he's more likely to be completely thrown out of the Club of Idiots.
My concern for someone like Huntsman is that, having presumably gauged the infectious stupidity and delusion that is rife within the [R] party, why does he choose to remain a [R]??!! That alone shows terrible judgement, so bad in fact that I would question his ability to serve effectively in any high office.
Romney and Huntsman are both great people. They both try to follow Christ their savior as close as they can...They are true Christians....more Christlike than any of the other candidates out there...Great for both of them....May the best man win!!!!
@mark moore - I say that you are correct.
The only one that seems to make any sense is Huntsman, and there is no chance of him getting through the nomination process. The reason why is that he is not so far to the right as everyone else and he is not willing to let ideology control him. Pragmatism is not going to get you any where in the GOP.
Huntsman is the ONLY repub I would consider voting for. Perhaps he should drop out of the rethugliban race and run as an independent.
Huntsman/Colbert 2012!
@MnTaxpayer
You mean an idealogue like former Mr.President Obama ?
The left is trying so hard to make Romney the canidate.
I don't like Huntsman because I don't like how he stabbed Obama in the back. The President gives a republican a position in his cabinet and then he goes against him. Could have waited until 2016.
The real story here is that somehow Romney has convinced the Republican party that he is conservative. To suggest Romney is more conservative than Huntsman is a huge stretch and the party is simply falling into a false narrative perpetuated by the news media and talk radio.
Records are more relevant than words. Jon Huntsman passed record tax cuts & reforms, free market health care reform, and school voucher programs. He strengthened pro life laws (with notifications laws and automatic abortion ban if Row V Wade is overturned), and enhanced 2nd Amendment right to carry laws.
Romney on the other hand ran on a pro choice platform in the past, actually passed a Health Care Mandate, and has simply had very few consistent positions.
Any objective person would conclude that Huntsman is actually a conservative who has a unique ability to convince democrats and independents that he isn't. One or two moderate positions has some how labeled him a liberal, and its very unfortunate. He would wipe the floor Obama and be a great ambassador of fiscal conservatism to independents that have fled the republican party.
The Republican party needs to take a real look at Huntsman. He has the only serious tax reform plan and the only real foreign policy vision that is geared for this century and the economic opportunities of the Asia-Pacific region.
Oh shut-up. Who cares what you think? From what I hear not even his own party cares.
I was listening to Huntsman until when he started attacking his former boss (the President). From that time I found him is good for nothing!
Huntsman is what a Republican looked like before President Clinton was elected and the GOP began its march to right-wing insanity. As a lifetime Republican I would vote for Huntsman over Obama, but Obama over any of the other GOP candidates.
I wish he could win.. but frankly, I doubt it.. they push mittens, they push German Kane (Think about, the party of no with a leader going "Nien! Nien! Nien!"), but this guy, who talks clearly, answers questions, pays attention, works hard, has a great record.. they're not feeling this guy. But the liars, cheats, and loons... well, let's just vote for them.
Republicans don't vote for "Substance" they vote for "stance"
While Huntsman has no chance, GOP voters need to realize that the only reason the non-conservative Romney is the alleged (contrived, manufactured, illusory, so-called, imitation of a, etc.) frontrunner is because there are people in the GOP leadership who are still stuck in the past and think that it is Romney's "turn", like McCain and Dole (and Bush Sr. and Reagan and Nixon and many others) in the past. That bad mentality means they want a losing candidate instead of a winning one, and that is going to destroy any chance they have of winning the White House in one year.
And dont forget Flip Romney makes a great name for a weatherman !
"Huntsman is what a Republican looked like before President Clinton was elected and the GOP began its march to right-wing insanity. As a lifetime Republican I would vote for Huntsman over Obama, but Obama over any of the other GOP candidates."
Oh, I dunno about that. The only thing that really changed about GOP politics when Clinton was elected is that they started marching in that direction more openly...perhaps a little faster too...but they'd already been goose-stepping towards extremism well before then.
Dont even get it twisted fools..., the dnc knows Romney is the man, and will get the nom.
Yeah, okay, Huntsman. You're a RINO.