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.”