Huntsman takes on criticism
Salem, New Hampshire (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman defended his chief strategist and said his 2012 effort is now on the right track, after a former consultant said the campaign was riven with infighting and misdirection.
"We've got our campaign up and running," the former Utah governor told a group of reporters Thursday. "It is retooled. It is firing on all cylinders. And we're preparing to win here in New Hampshire."
Huntsman's remarks come after a major shake up at his campaign headquarters and a messy tell-all article in Politico, the political news web site. Former Huntsman confidante David Fischer told the news outlet the campaign's strategist John Weaver was verbally abusive to staffers and was mismanaging the race.
Weaver worked for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in 2007 but was pushed out of his role before the senator won the GOP nomination.
Huntsman gave Weaver his unequivocal support Thursday.
"John Weaver is a critically important part of our team," he said. "He's a great friend and he's indispensable."
He refused to answer repeated questions about his relationship with Fischer, only saying: "Let's just say this campaign is moving in the right direction."
Fischer withdrew from the campaign in July.
The candidate chuckled but would not respond to a question about whether he would appear on ABC's news talk show "The View" anytime soon. The Politico article quoted Fischer saying Huntsman's wife thought the candidate should already have appeared on the show.
CNN obtained a memo the Huntsman campaign e-mailed to donors Tuesday outlining the campaign's restructuring and promising a fleeter, more aggressive effort that would draw contrasts with his "very weak" field of Republican opponents.
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Now remind me again - who is this 'Huntsman' guy?
This guy is an idiot and cheat. Ok, ask Utah....true.....
All lies, I tell ya . . . All lies! Republican party candidates are a bunch of lies personified. Periods!
WOW! Huntsman called the Repukes candidate field weak? A Christian revelation I am sure. Oh I forgot. He is a Moron er uh Mormon. Not any better than the rest of the Right Wingnuts.
Remind me who this guy is again. I am getting him mixed up with what's his name, you know the dude running for the GOP nomination.
THEY SMILE IN YOUR FACE AND ALL THE TIME THEY WANT TO TAKE YOUR PLACE – THE BACKSTABBERS. That is YOU Mr. Huntsman. I hope your whole campaign falls apart. You'll find out you can't have everything you want and the American people don't want you.
Throw yourself in the ring like every other politician did when it comes to The view. What are you afraid of? You cant surround yourself with white rich mormans forever!!!!!!!! Go to Detroit, Baltimore, Chicago, ETC, you will get an awful rude awakening from real folks who think the rich & corporations should pay their fare share!! Or even better yet, go on The Jon Stewart Show,,,,,,,,,,,, CHICKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've said it before, and I will say it again. How candidate runs a campaign is reflection of how they would run their elected office.
"It is retooled. It is firing on all cylinders. And we're preparing to win here in New Hampshire."
Operative word: tool.
Who is this guy again?????????????????? Is he running for something...
When will Huntsman and Romney realize they are too intelligent for the Republican party, they prefer people like Falin Palin and her hillbilly clan.
Huntsman's campaign may be DOA. Like Pawlenty, he can't generate any excitement or support as indicated by his single digit in the polls.
So what this buy if saying is that the misdirection was trying to conduct a clean campaign like he promised. Now that he has become another crazy (R) now his campaign is going in the right direction.
Yes, go on the View. Just make sure you wear a Klevar vest below the waist!
Hunts Man is just practicing for 2016 and continuing his project to convince people he is a "moderate". Already many here are buying his kool-aid. It's NOT TRUE, folks. Just like GWB, Hunts Man was for years a spoiled partyboy living off his family's chemical fortune. Trust me, he's a corrupt corporatist cult member through and through, just like Shrub. America cannot afford any more of that phony GOBPbaggin' "moderation,"