Huntsman Blasts Obama, Romney and Gingrich

At the National Press Club on Thursday, GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman criticized President Obama and fellow GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich for their lack of trust.

“America suffers from a deficit of dollars and jobs. We also suffer from a deficit of trust  ­‑ trust in our institutions of power, from Washington to Wall Street,” Huntsman declared.

“The president came to office with a mandate to restore trust in Washington,” Huntsman continued, “yet his inexperience and failure to lead have left us worse off.”

Huntsman continued to criticize President Obama for wasting “an entire year jamming through a health care plan the American people didn’t ask for and can’t afford,” rather than focusing on developing a plan to improve the economy.

“My opponents offer no better,” Huntsman added in reproach of Romney and Gingrich.

Huntsman categorized Romney as a candidate who “will say anything to earn the voter’s trust” and Gingrich as a product of that same Washington, who participated in the excesses of our broken and polarized political system.”

“We have a choice in this race between a panderer-in-chief, a lobbyist-in-chief and a commander-in-chief,” Huntsman stated as he noted that he was the commander-in-chief.

Huntsman then laid out a seven-fold plan to revive the American economy and restore trust in Washington:

1.     Reform tax code – eliminate loopholes and subsidies to lower rates across the board for individuals and businesses

2.     Cut spending throughout government – reform entitlement programs based on the Ryan plan, while maintaining commitments to those already in retirement

3.     “Make sure no financial entity is too big to fall” – break up big banks on Wall Street

4.     Adopt comprehensive energy strategy that frees the US from foreign oil and eliminates all energy subsidies

5.     Systematically streamline regulations to make free, fair and competitive marketplace

6.     Bring troops home from Afghanistan while leaving an effective counterterrorism presence

7.     Amend constitution such that there are term limits for Congress – six two-year terms for House members and two six-year terms for senators. 

“You may not agree with me on every single issue,” Huntsman concluded, “but you’ll always know exactly where I stand, and I will never waver from my conservative convictions.”

Republican Jewish Coalition Hosts GOP Presidential Contenders

The Republican Jewish Coalition hosted six of the GOP Presidential candidates at the Ronald Reagan building in Washington D.C. Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum  kicked off the event by outlining his plan if elected.

When asked what a first week “Santourm Administration” would look like, the candidate said he would repeal Obamacare, get rid of regulations for businesses and “take a meat axe to the State Department”. 

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman made light of his daughters’ infamous Youtube video when he took on stage.

He wasted no time taking jabs at the other GOP contenders, “I am not going to contort myself into a pretzel by signing pledges. I will not attend a Don Trump debate either,” Huntsman said.

There was a standing ovation as former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney walked up to podium. “We’ve had a lot of change and not a lot of hope,” Romney said about President Obama’s  leadership. Romney added that Obama wants to make America an entitlement society and not an opportunity society. “He does not understand America,” he said.

The former Massachusetts Governor said that a Romney presidency would repeal Obamacare, reduce the number of federal employees and put a halt on all regulations installed during the Obama administration.

Texas Governor Rick Perry, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich will speak at the RJC forum later this afternoon.

Romney Wins Support From Senator Thune

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has picked up another key endorsement to contribute to his campaign for president. 

Romney won the support of Republican Senator John Thune (S.D.), who has gained popularity among Senate Republicans for taking the seat of former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle. 

“Mitt Romney has shown throughout his life in the private sector, as leader of the Olympics, as governor, and in this campaign that he will not back down from difficult challenges,” Thune said. “His plans to revitalize the private sector and restore our country’s fiscal health are drawn from his 25 year career as a conservative businessman. Washington could use these commonsense principles at such a critical time.”

Thune will contribute to the Romney campaign by serving as co-chairman of his national advisory committee.

“Senator Thune has been a leading voice in the Senate,” Romney said. “He will be a trusted advisor as I bring this message to voters, work to reverse President Obama’s failed policies and reform Washington.”

Thune will join Romney in Iowa Wednesday where the two will hold a telephone conference call with Iowa voters. The South Dakota senator’s support comes just days after Romney picked up an endorsement from the conservative New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte. 

New Hampshire Business Owners Not Sold On Romney

By Janie Amaya

A group of small business owners in New Hampshire attacked GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday for displaying a record of inconsistency over the years, and said that his plan to help them is unclear.

“Politicians often say that small businesses need certainty and consistency to grow and I’m sure Mitt said that when working with Bain Capital. Well, right now it is very clear there is nothing consistent, nor certain about Mitt Romney,” said Mason Donavan, a part owner of the Dagoba Group in Salisbury.

Donavan said that Romney’s opposition to President Obama’s American Jobs Act represents a turn-about for the former Massachusetts Governor, who once supported a $2,000 tax credit for small businesses to hire people who had been unemployed for longer than six months. Obama’s bill would provide $4,000 tax credits to businesses who hire the long-term jobless.

Donavan added that under Romney from 2003-2007, Massachusetts’ economy grew at just one percent, compared to the national level of five percent during that same period.

“We really do need a president that’s out for the small business, that’s there for small businesses and has a record of job growth,” Donavan said.

Small business owner Peter Hoiriis of Manchester said he doubts whether Romney’s 59-point jobs plan can help reduce the nation’s 9.1 percent unemployement rate. Hoiriis also waged a common complaint against Romney; that he’s inconsistent on the issues.

“I’m questioning Romney where he really stands,” Hoiriis said. “I have an old business affiliation with him from twenty years ago, and it just seems that it’s hard to target what he supports or doesn’t.” Hoiriis did say, however, that Romney would be “worthy of listening to.”

Though Romney is ahead of the rest of the GOP field in the Granite State, a new poll released today shows his lead slipping. According to the survey, conducted by Magellan Strategies, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich trails Romney by just two percentage points.

Given the news, Romney will likely need to win over as many small businesses as he can to win the primary, which is less than eight weeks away.

GOP Candidates Go At It Again Tonight

Nine Republican candidates for president will square off in Orlando, Florida tonight in the third GOP debate of this month.

Tonight’s lineup will feature Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain and Gary Johnson.

Johnson, the former New Mexico Governor who has largely been ignored thus far, is eager to prove he belongs with the rest of the field.

“Governor Johnson…will bring ideas and approaches to the challenges we face that would otherwise not be heard,” said campaign strategist Ron Nielson.

Meanwhile, the battle between Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for frontrunner status will once again figure to be a top story line.

In Tampa ten days ago, Romney was widely credited with turning in a good, but unspectacular performance. However, he benefitted greatly from the attacks waged by others in the room against Perry over a host of issues.

Bachmann and Santorum, each with their eye on Iowa, where social conservatives will turn out en masse, both accused Perry of abusing his power as Governor to pass an executive order requiring young girls in the state of Texas to receive HPV vaccinations. Perry admitted that he was wrong to circumvent the legislature, but cited studies that have produced links between the sexually-transmitted disease and cervical cancer.

In addition, Paul, the offbeat congressman who frequently espouses ultra-libertarian views, accused Perry of raising taxes in Texas. Though Perry responded that he has reduced taxes while in office, the attack seemed to rattle him slightly.

Perry’s Tampa showing may have hurt him in at least two key primary states. A new poll conducted by Winthrop (S.C.) University showed Romney trailing Perry by only three percentage points among definite voters. And in New Hampshire, a new Suffolk University poll showed Romney leading the runner-up, Paul, by 27 points.

Tune into the Fox News Channel at 9:00 pm for all of tonight’s action. You can also click here to watch online.