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Huntsman: 'The President Was Born in the U.S.'

GOP candidate comments on Thursday's birther remark by Mitt Romney's son.

 

Jon Huntsman made one thing abundantly clear after a campaign stop in Portsmouth on Friday – he has no doubt that Barack Obama was born in America.

"The president was born in the United States – end of conversation," Huntsman said. He was responding to a question about a comment Mitt Romney's son, Matt, made during an appearance in Concord on Thursday.

Asked when his father will release his tax returns, Matt Romney said, "I heard someone suggest the other day that as soon as President Obama releases his grades and birth certificate... then maybe he'll do it."

Huntsman was also asked Friday if he's willing to release his tax returns. He responded that he believes that information is already out there.

"I think my tax return is pretty much public," he said. "They were while I served in public office and while I served overseas. I'll have to check up on that and I'll get back to you on that."

Huntsman was in Portsmouth as part of a 14-day tour of New Hampshire leading up to the Jan. 10 primary. He held an employee town hall at Bid2Win, a Bow Street business that specializes in software for the construction industry. Two of his daughters, Abby and Mary Anne, were with him.

He spoke to about 30 employees, and gave his now familiar "twin deficits" speech, touching on the economic deficit and the trust deficit the country is facing.

Huntsman also spoke on foreign policy, answering a question from a Bid2Win employee about what he would do if Iran tries to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for oil.

"I think we ought to treat it as it legitimately would be, as an act of war, if it ever came to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz," he said. "I'm skeptical that would ever happen, but if it did, I think there should be no ambiguity in our response."

Related Topics: Jon Huntsman, Mitt Romney, NH Primary, and strait of hormuz

Gerald Montreaux

4:37 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011

Welcome to the Romney Comedy Club! Don't forget to tip your corporate bankers.

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Chloe

4:49 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011

Huntsman is the only not insane Republican candidate.

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Mama D

12:28 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

thank you. Too bad they don't give him any attention.

Ash Jamnadas

5:37 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011

If you live in New Hampshire, can you just do us all a favor and vote for Huntsman. I mean seriously, all these other people are a joke.

Comes general election time, If there is a international crisis (Iran, North Korea, middle east, you know its likely) do you think the people will vote for these other candidates that have no hands-on foreign policy experience over a sitting president. The international realm is the wild card come next year and if there is anything big going on, people will vote for the president they know and disagree with over people that have no idea about the world. Huntsman would cancel out the presidents advantage in this area as he has more foreign policy experience than Obama has gotten as president to date.

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John Fung

10:14 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011

I agree wholeheartedly. I can't understand the GOP - Huntsman is the only logical candidate. Rational, well-spoken, experienced, intelligent - I'd vote for him on any ticket, GOP, Democratic.

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Prudence Russell

12:38 am on Sunday, January 1, 2012

YES...HUNTSMAN HAS CREDIBILITY. THE REST OF THE GOP' ERS VYING FOR THE PRESIDENCY ARE HOPELESSLY CARTOON CHARACTERS. BUT YOU SEE...IT IS NOT THE BRILLIANCY OF THE PERSON RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY WHICH COUNTS IT IS HOW HE CAN CON A NATION. AND THIS NATION IS SLOWLY BUT SURELY SLIPPING TO OBLIVION. THIS IS MY COUNTRY, AND I AM PROUD TO SAY IT. BUT WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING TO DESTROY MY COUNTRY IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION. I HOPE TO SEE AMERICA UP AND RUNNING AS SHE USE TO BE.
PRES. OBAMA CARES SO MUCH FOR THIS COUNTRY AND HE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH. A DIVIDED COUNTRY CAN NOT STAND ON ITS OWN. AT HIS EXPENSE, THEY WOULD SACRIFICE THE WELFARE OF THIS GREAT NATION AND ITS PEOPLE. AMERICA...WAKE UP BEFORE WE ALL STUMBLE AND FALL. YOUR DECISION WHO WOULD NURSE AMERICA BACK TO ITS HEALTH IS YOURS TO OWN. -PRUDENCE

Miguel Delgado

6:53 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011

Even though I am not a Republican, any sane conservative from the Right,should wisen up and see the light on Jon Huntsman.He is qualify to give a good showdown than the other clowns.Unfortunately, he's a Mormon and a moderate.

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ev

9:13 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011

Mitt Romneys son???This is the one in five adult son who refuses to join the armed services along with his brothers and his father who declared himself a c/o! I am a proud veteran and would never vote for any of these Romney cowards!

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attilatheblond

2:28 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

First, and foremost: Thank you very much for your service to our nation. And thank you for your continuing service by means of using your brain and engaging in critical thinking regarding who to vote for. How much better off the nation would be if more people would think as clearly.

Fairness

10:27 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011

Matt Romney would via the Birther route because his father put him up to it so as not to take the blame just the way his father dissociated himself from his Pac attacks against Newt. Governor Romney apparently brings up liars & sly children. Governor Romney has neither guts nor initiative: his wife told him to run again; she told him to go to France on a missionary venture;generals will always tell him what to do &he is banking on Christie to save him.He does know profiting from bankrupting companies.He projects his failure on others like calling POTUS Marie Antoinette. Romney doesn't know that Marie Antoinette didn't say, “let them eat cake” & doesn't know the history of Marie Antoinette. Romney himself is Marie Antoinette because her pastime was playing the maid & pretending to be poor. Romney has told America that he does not have a job and considers himself Middle Class. You see, this is how someone with a big psychological problem behaves- projecting his own failure on to others. On the other hand, President Obama has class and does not pretend to be poor. In fact, POTUS is a patriot who wants to pay more so that the country may survive. I bet you $10,000 that Romney would stick to tax breaks for the rich at the expense of Middle Class, the poor and the elderly. I’ll also bet you $10,000 more that no matter how much lipstick you put on a pig, it will still be a pig. Governor Romney, I know Middle Class and you are not Middle Class! Bravo to Governor Huntsman!

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Diane McCowan

10:48 am on Monday, January 2, 2012

Well said Fairness. Kudos!! People need to really look at what the Republican obstructionist have tried to do to President Obama. If he said red they said blue, all of the views changed when he agreed with them. They were for it before they were against it. Hopefully the people will see what was going on.

Michael D. Ballantine

10:31 pm on Friday, December 30, 2011

Jon is right, President Obama has proven that he was born in America and has shown his birth certificate. I disagree with Gov Huntsman statement about Iran because according to Jon, if Iran imposes an embargo on oil, the US has the right to respond militarily. Despite using the word sanctions, Congress has just voted to extend an embargo on oil to Iran granting them "the right to take military action." We need to tone down the saber-rattling in the Republican primary. Military action is something that requires sober reflection, not point scoring with the paleo-conservatives. One hopes the voters in New Hampshire are not so gullible to think that war with Iran is a good thing.

Mike Ballantine is a Green Party candidate for President on Americans Elect

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Jo Hargis

1:28 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011

You mean...Americans Elect, funded by Wall St. guys who refuse to divulge their names? No, thanks, I think Wall Street's done enough damage to us.

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Michael D. Ballantine

1:37 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011

We can only win in the system of their creation. What is the point of standing on the sidelines yelling at the players if you aren't prepared to go out on the field and get your hands dirty? I don't care if their money comes from the Koch Brothers and they have some scheme to make Rick Santorum their poster boy, the point is progressives have exactly nothing right now. President Obama has thrown us under the bus and the Republican's are laughing at us for our foolishness. It's time to send a message that is loud, clear and perfectly understood. Americans want jobs, we want health care, and we want debt relief. We want the wars to end and we want corporate money out of politics. The American people can't eat ideology and we can't end the present tyranny if we don't fight back. Learn to hold your nose and start swinging instead of harrumphing.

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Leigh Jones

8:42 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011

Michael - You really should care where the money comes from! Believe me, The Koch Brothers/ Wall Street aren't interested in health care, debt relief, the middle class or jobs for that matter.

As my gradmother said, "you lie down with the dogs, you get the fleas" so good luck with that run for president!

Michael D. Ballantine

9:03 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011

This money is only used to get ballot access, not for campaigning. I am willing to suffer lice if it gets us campaign finance reform. I have a motto, when you swim with sharks, learn to bite back.

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jilli

9:06 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011

The romneys once again prove that they are not only economically yone deaf, but are also socially backwards and ethically challenged. Truth apparently doesn't matter - in fact his campaign clearly stated it. The romneys inhabit a completely different planet than the rest of us - a backwards golly gee Mayberry where they can't comprehend the majoritys concern over jobs, health care and income inequality. Sorry Willard, putting on a pair of jeans doesn't make you just like me. Romney is the epitomy of the 1% that many find so distasteful. Hiding his tax returns to prevent us from seeing that, more likely than not he pays a lower tax percentage than us working schmoes. His smarmy chuckle is reminiscent of GW Bush - another silver-spooner trying to make up for their daddys failings. It speaks volumes to hear a romney go birther - pathetic and shameless - like father, like son.

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LXG

11:13 am on Saturday, December 31, 2011

Huntsman could actually beat Obama. Repubs are so backward, supporting anti-science, homophobic, reactionaries, who play fast and loose with the truth. They actually have a smart, articulate candidate, who could whip the President in a debate, capture independents, and disaffected liberals like myself. They will choose the pandering Romney, who will become angry snd confused as soon as he strays from Fox phony News questioners, just like 4 years ago and last month!

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Karen Silver

2:16 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

He is the only Republican candidate I could see occupying the Oval Office. The rest of them scare the living **** out of me.

Karen Silver

2:14 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

I totally agree with the fact that his sanity has left him on the margins.

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Mike Smith

2:18 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

Wow what a cast of characters. This is by far the weakest field of GOP presidential contenders is years. Gingrich? Seriously, this is the best the GOP can do? a washed up bag of wind. Bachman? Has she said anything intelligent since she squirmed her way up on stage? Indeed not a very bright woman--tired of her non-sensical rah rah ---go America cheerleader speeches--she knows nothing about the economy or foreign policy. Romney? Has money but no vision and a very poor public speaker. Seriously listen to this guy---has he said anything compelling? The sound byte candidate he is. Huntnsman is perhaps the most sensical candidate but the GOP is being hijacked by the crazy right wing and racist tea party. What does this fringe group really stand before besides 24 hour whining? At this rate O'bama is a shoe in for re-election.

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attilatheblond

2:35 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

According to the anchor baby Mitt's son, who won't join the military because he is 'serving the country by trying to get his father elected' Mitt MAY release his tax forms IF Obama produces something he has already produced but the right refuses to acknowledge? So, M-Rom must be paying a MUCH lower % of his income in taxes than most GOP voters. It must be such a low % that even the Romney family is embarrassed about it, or at least knows it is completely unfair and would cause a mass abandoning of ol Anchor Baby's* campaign.

* Yes, Mitt's dad George, who also ran for President, was born in Mexico, where HIS father had fled to in the effort to avoid US laws against plural marriages. Hey, let's NOT talk definition of marriage as per the far right...

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Patty Helsingius

4:34 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

This guy is decent and intelligent. If I were a republican, I'd vote for him.

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John Byrd

5:05 pm on Saturday, December 31, 2011

Voting for anyone at this point doesn't matter. Our Constitution has been violated with to much corruption. It's a joke to think people are still planning on voting like it means something.

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Laura Wilkinson

8:32 pm on Sunday, January 1, 2012

We no longer live in a Constitutional Republic as long as the issue of the natural born citizen criterion is not addressed. Obama is not a natural born citizen and there is only one definition. A NBC is a citizen born on US soil to US citizen parents. There is no other definition. Article II Section 1 clause 5 has not been changed by any amendment, EVER. It is in effect and the national disgrace that both National Political marketing parties have shown is treasonous. FIRE THEM ALL for failure to uphold their oaths. Neither Obama nor Romney have any right to run in any race because until they prove NBC they are NOT assumed to be in compliance.

George Romney was born in Mexico and as we have all been told the only way to be a US citizen is to be born jus soli. (sarcasm intended)

Prove it or get out of the race.

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abouttime

1:55 am on Monday, January 2, 2012

If your definition of "natural born citizen" were true, none of us would be citizens! That's because when the U.S. was first established, none of the parents of the people then living in the U.S. in 1776 would have been citizens; consequently none of those first U.S. residents would be citizens; therefore their children would not be citizens; and so on, to the present generation.

Your definition therefore is nonsensical.

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