Huntsman Flirts With Up-In-The-Air GOP Race

Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to China and former governor of Utah, is making a swing through New Hampshire. The trip will set the tone for his candidacy ? and may suggest where a largely unknown moderate fits in the Republican primary scheme.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/19/136463360/huntsman-flirts-with-up-in-the-air-gop-race?ft=1&f=1014

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Huntsman Tests New Hampshire's Waters

Erin McPike, RealClearPoliticsHANOVER, N.H. - It was only his first retail event on the campaign trail, but it created such a media frenzy that it felt like primary day was already upon us. The New York Times and the Washington Post each have not one but two reporters in town to cover Jon Huntsman's New Hampshire debut this week. ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos rolled up to Jesse's Restaurant in a black sedan before Huntsman arrived; the likely candidate will be featured on "Good Morning America" Friday. And it was obvious there were more members of the media packed into the restaurant's back...

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/05/20/in_nh_huntsman_media_circus_begins_without_a_hitch_109932.html

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Obama Says Israel's Security Is 'Paramount'

President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to emphasize their common goals following a White House meeting Friday. But their remarks made it clear that each sees a different path to Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/20/136491809/obamas-ideas-on-israel-face-tough-reception?ft=1&f=1004

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Huntsman Seeks to Set Himself Apart in New Hampshire Debut

HANOVER, N.H. -- He?s called himself a ?margin of error? candidate on more than one occasion, but former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman is working to combat the perception that he can?t win the Republican nomination in 2012 because he?s largely unknown to voters.

Huntsman made his debut Thursday in the first in the nation primary state of New Hampshire, and worked double-time to explain his service as President Obama?s ambassador to China ? a position he just left at the end of last month.

?I'm the kind of guy, when asked by my president to stand up and serve my country, when asked, I do it,? Huntsman told potential voters gathered at Jesse?s Restaurant.

 

Huntsman?s wife, Mary Kaye, was by his side, as were two of the couple?s seven children. The prospective presidential candidate plans a five-day, 12-city introductory New Hampshire blitz. Fellow Mormon Mitt Romney, still waiting to make his bid official, leads in state polls.

California native Huntsman has served under four presidents, starting as a staff assistant in the Reagan administration, working in the Commerce Department and as ambassador to Singapore under George H.W. Bush, and as a deputy trade representative under George W. Bush.

On Thursday, popular Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who recently ducked out of the Republican race himself and is now seen as a potential 2012 kingmaker, dubbed Huntsman a conservative who?s qualified to be president.

But Huntsman shuns labels.

?Look at my record,? implored Huntsman. ?Labels and tags are going to be thrown around in politics. They always are. In some cases you have to peek beneath the veneer. You have to look at one's history and one's record. "

 

But parts of his record trouble staunch conservatives. Huntsman backed a pathway to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants as governor, which many Republicans consider amnesty. He defended the Obama administration?s 2009 stimulus and accepted funds, along with Florida?s ex-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. At the time, Huntsman actually wanted the stimulus to be larger, but now says he was only talking about the tax cuts in the package.

Huntsman also backed a cap-and-trade climate initiative with several western states and four Canadian provinces - which he now concedes didn't work regionally and could hurt the recovery nationally

?We cannot rush into policy choices that would have an adverse affect on economic growth,? Huntsman admits.

In Keene Friday morning, located in the south central part of the state, Huntsman told Fox News that he unequivocally supports House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan?s plan. ?The thing that scares me more than the Ryan budget is the accumulating debt.?

Huntsman also said that without a doubt, he would work to repeal Obama?s national health care law. ?Take it out. It's too heavy. It's too expensive. It puts too much of a burden on businesses and individuals.?

And when it comes to foreign policy, Huntsman says there are plenty of examples where his views differ from Obama?s. For instance, Huntsman said he would not have become involved in the Libyan civil war. However, Huntsman does think the U.S. is at a crossroads when it comes to the war in Afghanistan and its effect on the deficit.

?[We need] a foreign policy that is based on what is affordable and what is basically in our national interest, and we have to evaluate every corner of the world through that prism: What can we afford to do these days?? Huntsman said. ?If we're weak at home, we cannot project power abroad.?

It was Huntsman, who at the 2008 GOP convention, helped formally nominate Sarah Palin as John McCain?s vice president. Now, much of McCain?s camp is working for him. John Weaver ran McCain?s entire campaign in 2000 and half of it in 2008. McCain?s rapid response guru is also on Team Huntsman, along with McCain?s Iowa communications director, Tim Miller.

New Hampshire also marked Huntsman?s first news conference on the campaign trail. He made it clear that while other candidates are competing for the votes of Tea Party conservatives, he hears the voters? calls for something different ? something he thinks he can deliver.

?Maybe someone who believes in civility ? that the yelling and screaming should come to an end,? Huntsman said.

Source: http://feeds.foxnews.com/~r/foxnews/politics/~3/0GOjOkJQv3I/

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Obama thanks intelligence workers for bin Laden mission

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama visited the Central Intelligence Agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on Friday to thank operatives at the CIA and elsewhere for their work in tracking down Osama bin Laden.

"Today I've returned just to say thank you on behalf of all Americans and people around the world," the president said. "I wanted every single one of you to know ... the work you did and the quality of intelligence you provided made the critical difference."

Now "we're going to finish the job," he said. "We're going to defeat al Qaeda."

Obama's decision to visit the CIA came shortly after the successful raid on bin Laden's Pakistani compound, White House press secretary Jay Carney said this week.

"This truly was a team effort. That's not always the case in Washington," Obama said. This was "a tribute to your perseverance. ... Intelligence professionals are going to be inspired by and study your achievement for generations to come."

CIA Director Leon Panetta oversaw the May 2 raid, which was conducted by Navy SEALs and ended in the death of bin Laden.

Saif al-Adel, a former Egyptian special forces officer, has been chosen as bin Laden's successor to lead al Qaeda, according to CNN contributor Peter Bergen.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/2WARaxO7ams/index.html

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Obama's Ideas On Israel Face Tough Reception

The president meets Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has already expressed disapproval for Obama's latest proposal for peace with the Palestinians. Still, there is increasing recognition that the Israeli position must move to stave off further protests and political difficulties.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/05/20/136491809/obamas-ideas-on-israel-face-tough-reception?ft=1&f=1014

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AFL-CIO may reduce support to Democrats (The Arizona Republic)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's largest labor federation is weighing whether to pull political support from congressional Democrats who aren't doing enough to back labor unions.... Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/91576124?client_source=feed&format=rss

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