Jon Huntsman On Romney Flip-Flops: White House Or Waffle House?

Jon Huntsman On Romney Flip-Flops: White House Or Waffle House?

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman doubled down on Sunday on his criticism of front-runner Mitt Romney, saying the former Massachusetts governor's "flip-flops" could cost him the GOP nomination.

"I think there is an issue on the flip-flops as it relates to trust," said Huntsman, a former Utah governor and ambassador to China, during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I don't know if he can go on to beat President Obama given his record."

"When there's a question about whether you're running for the White House or running for the waffle house, then you've got a big problem with the American people," he added.

Huntsman pointed to a few issues on which he said Romney has switched positions, including abortion, health care and gun rights. Romney signed into law a bill that provided universal health care to residents of Massachusetts, but later criticized President Obama for a similar nationwide bill. He has also said he believes abortion "should be safe and legal in this country," a position he has since rescinded, among others.

"When you have something as central as life that you flip-flop on, when you have the Second Amendment, when you have health care," he said. "You have a range of issues -- on taxes, for example -- that he's been on both sides of."

Huntsman has repeatedly hit Romney for these position changes, including in two web videos that show Romney stating different positions while a monkey back-flips.

Romney has countered by saying he has been "as consistent as a human being can be."

But Huntsman said the perceived flip-flops could be keeping Romney from breaking ahead significantly from other Republicans, such as Herman Cain, who surged in the polls in recent weeks.

"I think that what the American people want today more than anything else is a level of consistency. They want a level of trust in their elected officials," Huntsman said. "I think that very well could be the issue about not being able to break beyond a certain level."

Despite these criticisms, Huntsman said he would support Romney if he were chosen as the Republican nominee for president.

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