GOP Governor: Congressional Leadership 'Inconsequential' (VIDEO)

In an interview with the Washington Times, the Republican governor of Utah on Monday said his party's leaders in Congress' lack of new ideas renders them so "inconsequential" that he doesn't even bother to talk to them.

Watch:

"I don't even know the congressional leadership," Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. told the paper's editors and reporters. "I have not met them. I don't listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential -- completely." Huntsman added that he would not reject any money from President Obama's stimulus. While he criticized what he saw as misdirected spending in bill, he said Republicans had no credibility on fiscal responsibility.

"Our moral soapbox was completely taken away from us because of our behavior in the last few years," he said. "For us to now criticize analogous behavior is hypocrisy. We've got to come at it a different way. We've got to prove the point. It can't be as the Chinese would say, 'fei hua,' [or] empty words."

Huntsman recently made waves when a spokeman announced that the governor supported civil unions for gay couples. Utah has a constitutional ban on gay marriage and domestic unions.

Comments

[realitychecks]

09:58 AM on 02/25/2009

Reality......from a Republican?Wow,I hope this one doesn't flip flop tomorrow.

[PatricefromNH]

07:10 AM on 02/25/2009

Well, well...A Republican with intelligence and honesty who is more concerned with the well being of American people than he is for himself or the backwards politics of his party. Amazing, I thought these rare birds were only found in Maine.

[mick7191]

07:03 AM on 02/25/2009

Divide and conquer.

[BinIndy]

08:46 AM on 02/25/2009

You're right...they are imploding...and it's entertaining

[kolorkin]

03:28 AM on 02/25/2009

i wonder if the governor speaks mandarin?

[kolorkin]

03:31 AM on 02/25/2009

OH YES HE DOES! he was an ambasaddor to Singapore and spent sometime in Taiwan. Wikipedia says he speaks fluent mandarin chinese.

nice.

[Maegs33]

05:46 PM on 02/25/2009

He also has adopted two girls, one from China.

[Maegs33]

05:49 PM on 02/25/2009

He also has an adopted daughter from China (and another from India.)

[weatherwaxx]

01:53 AM on 02/25/2009

Good lord, a Republican said something I agree with.

[Nonamnesiac]

12:44 AM on 02/25/2009

I truly resent this article. Our Democratic Congressional leadership is just as inconsequential as the Republican Congressional leadership and don't let anyone say anything else. Our leadership can even make up stuff about not having the ability to force a true filibuster, meaning if we have to participate by keeping 51 Senators present during the filibuster to guarantee that we have a quorum it defeats the purpose and importance of a filibuster. I guess the inconsequentiality became obvious when there was a great bi-partisan standing ovation for outgoing convicted felon and thief Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska.

[publanski]

01:19 AM on 02/25/2009

You don't have to be "inconsequential" to give a guy who's been in the senate for 342 years a standing ovation when he leaves. I'm not saying I disagree. Just saying that this probably isn't the best example.

[Nonamnesiac]

12:41 AM on 02/25/2009

I truly resent this article. Our Democratic Congressional leadership is just as inconsequential as the Republican Congressional leadership and don't let anyone say anything else. We can even make up stuff about not having the ability to force a true filibuster, meaning if we have to participate by keeping 51 Senators present during the filibuster to guarantee that we have a quorum it defeats the purpose and importance of a filibuster.

[babyboomerorig]

12:26 AM on 02/25/2009

Still sitting here with my mouth opened....he is absolutely right about the Republicans in Congress being benign and irrelevent. It's an amazing bit of video!

[DeminJapan84]

11:57 PM on 02/24/2009

So we have a Republican that seems to be quite reasonable and thoughtful but is also from the most conservative state in the US. The irony of that is just astounding and if I recall correctly, he also has a very high approval rating. Too bad elected Republicans like Gov. Huntsman are few and far between.

[caillex]

11:52 PM on 02/24/2009

As a Utahn, he is right on the mark. Huntsman is about consensus and common sense. He is not about winning petty political contests. He takes his job seriously and puts the common good first. He is like a Republican Obama. Thats why he got more than 70% of the vote and the only republican I voted for.

[roybattyjunior]

11:39 PM on 02/24/2009

Wow, this man is too honest to be a GOP'er...I thought all of the young ones were of the Jindal/Cantor poser d-bag ilk...

[Rog49Thomas]

11:38 PM on 02/24/2009

Sadly for our nation, the "leadership" of the Republican Party in our Congress does have profound consequences - negative consequences.

On that basis it is not inconsequential.

[Robin vegt1]

11:22 PM on 02/24/2009

How did this guy win an election in Utah? I don't get it.

[gnostic19]

10:40 PM on 02/24/2009

seems like a decent guy.

[Koreboomer]

10:47 PM on 02/24/2009

Yes, he does.

But how many Repubs are as reasonable as he seems to be?

They're few and far between.

[somsoc]

10:32 PM on 02/24/2009

I have known Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. before he was Gov. he is thoughtful, not common among republicants especially Utah republicants, so his assessment has some weight in my opinion.