Huntsman joins the fray

JERSEY CITY, N.J.--Jon M. Huntsman will officially launch his White House bid here Tuesday morning, setting up a campaign for the GOP nomination that, if successful, could lead to a match-up against his former boss.

Huntsman, former U.S. envoy to China and Utah governor, joins a wide-open and restless Republican field and immediately will face some specific challenges.

Not only must he raise his relatively low national profile, he must establish himself as a clear alternative to Mitt Romney, the presumed frontrunner, and finesse his ties to Obama, who he served in Beijing for two years.

In the days leading up to his announcement, Huntsman--like Romney, a member of the Mormon faith--launched a series of video ads on his Web site that sought to fill in the blank spaces in his biography.

Tuesday, he is set to introduce himself with the Statue of Liberty in the background, echoing Ronald Reagan’s general election kickoff in 1980. Excerpts of his speech released in advance included optimistic references to American achievement and potential.

“We’re a resourceful, ingenious, determined, problem solving people,” Huntsman will say. “. . .We choose our destiny. We always have, and we always will.

This is that moment. We’re not just choosing new leaders. We’re choosing whether we are to become yesterday’s story or tomorrow’s.”

Democrats, who see Huntsman as a formidable general election challenger, have seized on his moderate stances on a number of key issues in hopes of thwarting his candidacy, saying that he has borrowed from Romney’s playbook in shifting his stance.

“The Jon Huntsman I know supported Barack Obama and President Obama’s recovery act, but said it should have been larger,” said Wayne Holland, chairman of the Utah Democratic Party, on a recent conference call with reporters.

“The Jon Huntsman I know worked with Democrats to pass the cap-and-trade program and said at the time it was the only alternative to a carbon tax. The Jon Huntsman I know signed into law a health insure exchange and proposed an individual mandate for Utah. It now appears that has all changed.”

Obama aides are also casting Huntsman, who was appointed ambassador by Obama in May 2009 in a move that was seen as apolitical and bipartisan, as a changed man.

“He was encouraging on healthcare; he was encouraging on the whole range of issues,” said David Axelrod, an Obama strategist in a CNN interview. “And if he had suggestions on the economy, he had an excellent opportunity to suggest them, when we were all together in China. I think that what has changed is not his view of the economy but his view of his own chances to, perhaps, win the nomination. And I understand that’s politics. He’s a politician and he sees an opportunity.”

Conservatives, eager for a candidate who can harness the energy of the more activist and grassroots wings of the party, are attacking Huntsman for his work in the Obama administration--work that Huntsman has cast as service to his country.

“There is no patriotic obligation to help advance the career of a politician who is otherwise pursuing interests that are fundamentally antithetical to your values. That’s not the call of patriotism,” said John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations and conservative stalwart, said in a National Review article. “I don’t understand it. This is not like World War II, when we are facing an existential threat to the country as a whole, and you do put partisanship aside.”

“There is no patriotic obligation to help advance the career of a politician who is otherwise pursuing interests that are fundamentally antithetical to your values. That’s not the call of patriotism,” said John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations and conservative stalwart, said in a National Review article. “I don’t understand it. This is not like World War II, when we are facing an existential threat to the country as a whole, and you do put partisanship aside.”

Huntsman aides are touting his fiscally conservative, pro-business record while governor of Utah, as well as his support of strict abortion laws. In his speech, Huntsman cited his experience as governor in explaining how he would “reignite the powerful job-creating engine of our economy.”

“We did many of these things in Utah when I was governor. We cut taxes and flattened rates. We balanced our budget. ... When the economic crisis hit, we were prepared,” Huntsman said, adding, “We proved that government doesn’t have to choose between fiscal responsibility and economic growth.”

His announcement comes as the field of GOP contenders continues to evolve, with favorites such as Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels opting out and Texas Gov. Rick Perry still eyeing a possible run.

Huntsman, known for his passion for motorcycles and rock music, brings to the field extensive foreign policy experience, as well as a business background — he was an executive in his family’s corporation, a worldwide chemical company.

His criticism of Obama so far has been mostly limited to the president’s approach to foreign policy, but he also has said that Obama’s economic policies have been a failure. He will spend the week laying out his contrasting vision for a new direction on Afghanistan and job-creation.

In his speech, he said he intends to keep his criticism respectful, and steer clear of “corrosive” hyperpartisan debate.

“We will conduct this campaign on the high road,” Huntsman said. “I don’t think you need to run down someone’s reputation to run for president.

“I respect my fellow Republican candidates. And I respect the president. ... The question each of us wants the voters to answer is who will be the better president, not who’s the better American.”

Huntsman next plans to embark upon a six-state tour that will take him to New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Florida and Utah and Nevada, two states with sizeable Mormon populations.