A couple of weeks ago, David Plouffe, Obama’s campaign manager told the U.S. News and World Report that Utah Governor Jon Huntsman:
makes him, a “wee bit queasy…I think he’s really out there speaking a lot of truth about the direction of the party.” abc4.com
Soon Mr. Plouffe will be calling former Governor Huntsman “Mr. Ambassador.”
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. abc4.com again
Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. (born March 26, 1960 in Palo Alto, California) is the governor of the state of Utah, having first won the office in 2004. His first term as the 16th governor of Utah began on January 3, 2005. He was re-elected, with running-mate Gary R. Herbert, on November 4, 2008, with over 77% of the vote.[1] Huntsman is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints.
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He served an LDS mission in Taiwan and speaks fluent Standard Mandarin Chinese.
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After college, Huntsman worked as a White House staff assistant in the Reagan Administration, U.S. Ambassador to Singapore in the administration of President George H.W. Bush and a deputy United States trade representative in the George W. Bush Administration. wiki
Guess this is one way to clear the way for your re-election in 2012 Mr. President. Although, given that Governor Huntsman was disinvited from a Michigan Republican event a few weeks ago I’m not sure he’d survive a Republican primary. You see, he’s not dead-set against civil unions. Now he’s gone and joined the dark side. He might as well join Specter and make it official. Any guesses as to how loudly Limbaugh will protest this act of Republican treason on Monday? By the way, what does this say about Michael Steele?
I guess I should mention that Huntsman was one of John McCain’s campaign co-chairs. He was also rumored to be on his short list of VP candidates. He’s also been looked at as a viable Republican candidate in 2012 or 2016. Not sure yet what, if anything, this makes for any aspirations Huntsman may have held.
Anyway, congratulations soon-to-be Ambassador Huntsman.
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