In Slam, Huntsman Compares GOP to China

Are Jon Huntsman's days as a Republican numbered? The former presidential candidate and ambassador to China slammed his own party in an interview yesterday, comparing it to Communist China, Politico reports. Huntsman said he was disappointed by the GOP's decision to disinvite him from a fundraiser last month after he said a third-party candidate should enter the race. "This is what they do in China on party matters if you talk off script," he said. He also ruled out becoming Mitt Romney's running mate.

He joked that his failure to win the nomination was partly the fault of his wife, who said she'd leave him if he abandoned his principles. "She said if you pandered, if you sign any of those damn pledges, I’ll leave you,” he recalled. "So I had to say I believe in science—and people on stage look at you quizzically as though you're an oddball." This morning, Huntsman appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe to say he had been "waxing philosophical," and that blogs had taken his China comment "out of context" to create a headline, Mediaite reports. He didn't walk back the substance of his comments, however. (More Jon Huntsman stories.)