Politics

Huntsman continues attacks on Perry over global warming, evolution, Bernanke comments

Alec Jacobs Contributor
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Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said voters might not see Texas Gov. Rick Perry as “someone who is serious on the issues,” in an interview to be aired Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”

The Hill reports Huntsman’s statement was in response to Perry’s attack on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Perry said Bernanke would be treated “pretty ugly” in Texas if the Federal Reserve printed more money, and said it would be considered “almost treacherous — or treasonous.” (Huntsman takes to Twitter to ding Perry on evolution)

“I’m not sure that the average voter out there is going to hear that ‘treasonous’ remark and say that sounds like a presidential candidate, that sounds like someone who is serious on the issues,” Huntsman said of Perry.

But the attack didn’t stop there. Huntsman mocked the Texas governor’s past statement that Texas could leave the United States “anytime we want,” which many took to be an endorsement of Texas secession.

Huntsman also continued to criticize Perry for his skepticism over global warming and evolution. The former Utah governor first launched the attack on Twitter this week, tweeting: “To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”

Huntsman continued his assault in his ABC interview: “I think there’s a serious problem. The minute that the Republican Party becomes the … anti-science party, we have a huge problem … When we take a position that isn’t willing to embrace evolution, when we take a position that basically runs counter to what 98 or 100 climate scientists have said … I think we find ourselves on the wrong side of science and, therefore, in a losing position.”

Perry wasn’t the only one of Huntsman’s opponents targeted in the interview. In fact, Huntsman criticized all of the other Republican presidential hopefuls on the debt ceiling issue, saying, “There was zero leadership on display in terms of my opponents.”