Former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman now says he will not compete in Iowa for his potential presidential run — and leaders in Iowa aren’t thrilled by his open snubbing of the state.
As ABC News reported over the weekend, Huntsman spoke to a crowd in New Hampshire:
“I’m not competing in Iowa for a reason. I don’t believe in subsidies that prop up corn, soybeans and ethanol,”Huntsman said, according to multiple news sources at the event.
Huntsman, the former ambassador to China, continued, “I think they destroy the global marketplace…. We probably won’t be spending a whole lot of time in Iowa. I guess I understand how the politics work there.”
Now, the Des Moines Register reports, Iowa Republicans are firing back.
Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz (R) released a statement, saying in part:
“Over the years I have heard presidential candidates state reasons for skipping the Iowa caucuses. It always leaves me wondering if those are the real reasons for not coming to Iowa. The most recent example of this is Jon Huntsman’s announcement that he won’t compete in Iowa. Apparently, Huntsman believes that he will not get a fair shake in Iowa because he opposes ethanol subsidies. In my opinion, this excuse seems to have as much credibility as ‘the dog ate my homework.’
…
“Iowans look forward to the opportunity to hear Mr. Huntsman’s vision for America. We will listen to him explain his support for Cap and Trade. We will listen to him explain why he took more than one billion dollars in federal stimulus money. We will listen to him explain why he wants to replace his former boss, Barack Obama. We will listen to him explain why he is distancing himself from his Mormon faith. Mr. Huntsman should know that Iowans elected me as their Secretary of State and my Mormon faith was never an issue.
And Bob Vander Plaats, a social conservative activist who ran a competitive race in the Republican gubernatorial primary last year, is also speaking up:
“I see this as a disqualifier for him to run for president,” Vander Plaats told the Register. “Are you going to be president of 49 states, not 50 states?”
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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