Jon Huntsman, Utah Governor, Barred By GOP Group For Supporting Gay Unions

Michigan Republicans scrambled to find other events for Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to attend after a western Michigan GOP group withdrew its invitation.

Huntsman had been scheduled to speak to Kent County Republicans at the invitation of GOP county chairwoman Joanne Vorhees. But Vorhees changed her mind, apparently over Huntman's support for civil unions for gay couples.

Campaign for Michigan Families Chairman Gary Glenn said in statement that "Kent County's principled stand sends a strong message nationwide that grass roots conservatives will not embrace liberals who want to abandon the GOP platform's commitment to traditional family values."

He urged Republicans in other counties to also cancel their events. But Huntsman apparently is welcome in other locations around Michigan, including heavily populated Oakland County northwest of Detroit. Michigan Republican Party spokeswoman Jennifer Hoff confirmed Huntsman will be attending an Oakland County event.

Huntsman's spokeswoman, Lisa Roskelley, said the governor's office received notice Saturday that the Kent County invitation was being withdrawn. She said she'd have to double-check on the reason.

"We've already filled in the time he has available," she told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "He has about four or five events while he's in Michigan. He's had a lot of requests to speak at a lot of different organizations."

Huntsman has been mentioned as a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2012.

Comments

[Venise Alstergren]

09:58 PM on 05/05/2009

What is it about the American ethos that makes everyone so concerned about what other people do in bed?
Is it your inheritance from your pioneer forefathers who carved out land, trees and anything else (if it moves, shoot it, if it stands still, chop it down) not solely because it was necessary, but because it was something to do. Today there are no frontiers left. The rest of the world-apart from Middle Eastern countries who regard you as an unmitigated nuisance. And some South American countries-no longer regards America as the font of all wisdom.
So what to do with all that marvellous energy? Rush around prying into the sex lives of your neighbours.
Why not take up golf. It's far more relaxing. Photography, abseiling, canoeing, walking the neighbours' dogs, all sorts of interesting things to do. Prying into people's sex lives is nauseating.

[DirectProf]

11:48 AM on 04/30/2009

Someone please define for me what a "traditional family value" is? Bigotry? Fear?

Nothing about the gay and lesbian political platform in any way suggests it wants to undermine a nuclear family's right to have a mom, dad, and 2.5 children. Nothing! Personally, I don't care much about gay "marriage" ... but it's clear that marriage's biggest enemies are not the gays and lesbians who want to marry, but divorce and infidelity and the declining marriage rate amonsgt heterosexuals ... which can't really be seriously thought to be caused by a bunch of heteros having affairs with gays, can it?

I just don't understand ... fear is a powerful force, isn't it? The boogey-man is out there! Be afraid! Seems to work well ...

[Reighben Labilles]

12:22 PM on 04/30/2009

Here's one of the arguments the catholic church uses against gay marriage:

"It endangers the rights of the family.....because it violates the God given law that makes sacred the loving union between a man and a woman...and once such law supporting same-sex marriages are passed, it infringes upon the right to religion of those who oppose it on religious grounds...and it will cause violent reactions across society and will only endanger homosexuals further"

Even though that it is in the constitution that there is separation between church and state, they want the government to honor their religious beliefs over the human rights of LGBTs. They even make up bogus claims that in endangers the family and puts LGBTs in more peril because most of society will react violently against such laws.

[Venise Alstergren]

10:05 PM on 05/05/2009

Reighben Labilles: You know as well as I do the catholic church's morals were set in the stone-age. The only reason they hate gay marriage, is because this marriage doesn't produce offspring.

Charming three thousand year old beliefs set onto the twenty-first century. Only, of course, if one is too dim-witted to question said beliefs.

[Deja Peterson]

11:45 AM on 04/30/2009

this is why the party is failing. you have to move beyond the conservatism that dominated the party during the reagan years. america has moved passed that and plus a new generation of americans are arising so you need to get with the times.

you can't listen to people like rush and fox news because their entertainers they have nothing to lose for being ignorant. as long as this ultra-conservative (sometimes racist) image you continue to embrace is shed to a more moderate level you all will lose, because the people supporting the republican party are in the minority.

[starryBlake]

11:33 AM on 04/30/2009

This guys is definitely one of my fav republicans. I like his independence (especially this issue in the state of Utah, that's a real maverick!), and I like how he called out the senators on the stimulus as not being in touch with the real happenings of the people on the ground in their states.

[jadeba]

12:36 PM on 04/30/2009

Huntsman seems to be a pretty good guy, reasonable, genuine. All of which will probably get him kicked out of the gop who seem determined to get rid of all moderates.

[markytex]

10:58 AM on 04/30/2009

if we go back to traditional family values i'd like to go back to the traditional way of punishing debtors.

[kgb999]

11:28 AM on 04/30/2009

Jacking their interest rates?

[landmine]

11:42 AM on 04/30/2009

Throw hungry 10 year old bread thieves into dungeons?

[junkfood]

10:56 AM on 04/30/2009

So the republican governor of Utah is not conservative enough for these freaks??

[ddDinah]

10:10 AM on 04/30/2009

He has been a good Govenor.

[joemondo]

09:53 AM on 04/30/2009

And here we have the lies of the GOP.

They say gays should settle for civil unions, when marriage is on the table, but they actively work to deny civil unions when THEY are on the table.

[DrDemon]

09:44 AM on 04/30/2009

G roup

O f

P athetics


They are sorryass dingleberries!

[PresidentRobertBooth]

09:17 AM on 04/30/2009

"Kent County's principled stand sends a strong message nationwide that grass roots conservatives will not embrace liberals who want to abandon the GOP platform's commitment to traditional family values."


What family values?

In Utah???

Marriage limited to 1 man and let's say....15 women?

[keepemhonest]

09:56 AM on 04/30/2009

Hey Pres.RobBooth - Don't let facts get in the way of their hate message ... come on ...

Now repeat the hate montra after me: We hate & will oppress: poor people, gays, women, children, minorities, non-christians & all those who are not white men ... gosh, that message of their sounds like someone from history ... hmm.... who else in history hated all groups except white men ... hmm.. the name will come to be ... I think the first letter of his name started with an "H".

[Horus45]

11:31 AM on 04/30/2009

You left off "Intellectuals".

[Apov]

08:36 AM on 04/30/2009

Goose step.

[helonias]

08:14 AM on 04/30/2009

HAters

[mick7191]

06:58 AM on 04/30/2009

Traditional family values like divorce.

[treetracker]

08:53 AM on 04/30/2009

Because of the "other woman." That seems to be their tradition. Of course, if it because of the "other man," they wives stick with them. I guess they don't consider that as being adultery.

What's that old Hank Williams, Jr. song...."Family Traditions" ...was that what that song was about? LOL

[tomasedison]

06:03 AM on 04/30/2009

this is why the GOP will fail and fail and fail and fail...
maybe when they move one inch closer to 'live and let live' they might stand a chance
but don't expect that movement anytime soon

[harriettubman]

12:38 AM on 04/30/2009

Bush and Cheney squirmed so bad when Cheney's daughter came out. That was the most squirming I saw them do in 8 yrs. Then Cheney said "she was off limits". How convenient.