Huntsman Makes Obama Nervous

The New York Times reports

Mr. Obama’s decision to name Mr. Huntsman his ambassador to China in 2009 was hailed by members of both parties as another act of political wizardry, a chance to show that the president was trying to infuse his administration with a bipartisan spirit.

The president’s aides had by then identified Mr. Huntsman, a rising star of the Republican Party, as a potentially strong opponent in 2012. And Mr. Obama’s team basked in accolades among political strategists for taking Mr. Huntsman out of the mix and packing him off some 7,000 miles away.

Mr. Huntsman’s time in China has indeed created a potential roadblock for his campaign; Mr. Obama has teased him publicly about how his service in the administration will play among the Republican faithful.

But in some ways it has proved to be a help. It has bolstered his position as the only candidate in a field dominated by former governors to have direct foreign policy experience. And it put him in proximity to some of the nation’s leading chief executives — and potential campaign donors and fund-raisers — as they sought assistance in doing business with China.

Diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks show meetings with the leading executives from Cisco, Pfizer and Wal-Mart; close contact with the United States Chamber of Commerce; and requests for help from the Las Vegas Sands casino, the chairman of which, Sheldon Adelson, is a major Republican fund-raiser.

On the negative side of the political ledger for Mr. Huntsman, a confidential cable in November 2009 signed by him and sent to Mr. Obama appears to credit the president for “working with China to manage the worst of the financial crisis” and reads: “Mr. President, your commitment to building a relationship with China that will allow us together to shape the 21st century has the attention of our country, China, and the world. We are proud to be a part of your team.”

(In that cable Mr. Huntsman, who has recently backtracked on his support for legislation capping greenhouse gas emissions that was unpopular among conservatives, also hailed “China’s commitment to clean energy and to addressing greenhouse gas emissions” as “impressive.” Advising the president to reiterate his position that “America embraces China’s rise,” he also said the president should urge Mr. Hu to push harder on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.)

The cable was written in prelude to the president’s trip to China in 2009.

Speaking Sunday on the CNN program “State of the Union,” Mr. Axelrod said Mr. Huntsman had been “effusive” about what Mr. Obama was doing when Mr. Axelrod accompanied the president to China during that 2009 trip.

“He was encouraging on health care,” Mr. Axelrod said. “He was encouraging on the whole range of issues.”

A spokesman for Mr. Huntsman, Matt David, called Mr. Axelrod’s description of that conversation “absurd,” saying it was evidence that Mr. Huntsman’s candidacy “scares” the White House.

Mr. Huntsman’s aides pointed to his recent statements that he agreed to become ambassador out of a sense of duty, not to tee up a presidential run.

“Governor Huntsman served the president the same way he did Reagan, Bush senior and George W. Bush,” Mr. David said, referring to his jobs as a staff assistant for President Ronald Reagan, ambassador to Singapore for the first President Bush and a deputy trade representative for the second.