President-wannabe just lovin' debt deal

While most of the Republican hopefuls for president are lining up against the debt-ceiling compromise, there's one lonely voice giving a nod of approval.

Jon Huntsman earlier this year at the Statue of Liberty

Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor who served two years as President Obama's ambassador to China, is expressing support for the deal, calling it "a positive step toward cutting our nation's crippling debt."

Speaking in New Hampshire, Huntsman told reporters the last-minute deal illustrated "zero leadership in Washington out of the White House" and "essentially zero leadership on the part of my opponents."

"You are not going to get a perfect deal, but you've got to have the leadership that brings people together so you can address cuts, so that you can address meeting our financial obligations so the marketplace doesn't crater, so that you can address a balanced budget going forward, which is something this country desperately needs," he said.

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While he had some critical remarks about a failure to focus on entitlement reform and a balanced-budget amendment, he said it was important because it helps avoid an economic default.

"We're the largest financial services leader in the entire world and for us not to meet those obligations, I think would have been irresponsible and the international marketplace – the markets of the world – they would have responded very negatively."

Huntsman ripped into Rep. Michele Bachmann's opposition to a hike in the debt ceiling, calling her strategy "crash and burn."

"I don't consider that to be a policy," Huntsman said. "We live in the real world – you've got to recognize our commitments; you've got to step up and meet our commitments and in order to do that you've got to work as a leader in Washington to bring Congress together in fashioning a package that allows us to cut and to meet our financial obligations as we raise the debt ceiling."

"So to dodge the debate or to wait until the debate is over effectively and to take a side, I don't consider that to be leadership," Huntsman continued, taking aim at former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. "I have yet to see someone who is standing up, taking a responsible position that allows us to meet our obligations."

For his part, Romney criticized the measure as a prelude to higher taxes.

"As president, my plan would have produced a budget that was cut, capped and balanced – not one that opens the door to higher taxes and puts defense cuts on the table," Romney said today. "President Obama's leadership failure has pushed the economy to the brink at the 11th hour and 59th minute."

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