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Jon Huntsman on Principles & ValuesRepublican UT Governor |
MANCHIN: In two years in the Senate, I've yet to have a bipartisan meeting, where Republicans and Democrats sat down and worked through their problems. No Labels gives us that venue.
Q: On the issue of preventing gun violence one month after Newtown: there was no mention of that issue at all on the No Labels web site. Is that a punt?
HUNTSMAN: Well, this is not about finding the endpoint for a specific policy issue. This is about creating a pathway that speaks to problem solving. So the whole attempt here is to create a new attitude that speaks to problem solving. It's about extreme partisanship. You can't do anything about problem solving unless you get a group of people together on Capitol Hill who are dedicated to making decisions that are right for the country as opposed to the next election.
HUNTSMAN: It is the fulfillment of a citizenry being able to live out the meaning of our founding documents--life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In N.H., people take that very seriously. You know what else they take seriously? The idea of real leadership. I've heard a lot of obfuscating up here [on the debate stage], the blame game. You know what the people of this country are waiting for? They want a leader who is going to unify, who's going to bring us together. Because that's what leadership is all about. It's not about taking on different groups and vilifying them for whatever reason. It's about projecting a vision for a more hopeful tomorrow. That's why there is no trust in this country today, and that's why, as president, I'm going to attack that trust deficit just as aggressively as I attack that economic deficit.
A: Chris, let me just say, I'm proud of my service to this country. If you love your country, you serve her. During a time of war, during a time of economic hardship, when asked to serve your country in a sensitive position where you can actually bring a background to help your nation, I'm the kind of person who's going to stand up and do it, and I'll take that philosophy to my grave. In terms of the stimulus you talked about, it was failed. And let me tell you what I talked about with respect to the stimulus. I talked about the need for more tax cuts in the stimulus. We didn't have enough of it.
Our first and most urgent priority must be to prudently and wisely balance our budget, as we always have. Let's not forget, unlike many other states, we have tools we can utilize, and with these options we have added flexibility in minimizing impacts to our most critical priorities. Our discussions should be conducted with civility, respect and a recognition of the challenging circumstances in which we find ourselves.
