NBC News political director Chuck Todd is in China with a team covering Barack Obama’s visit, and when they asked US ambassador Jon Huntsman about the craziness wracking the Republican Party back in the States, Huntsman laconically replied, “It’s a good time to be in Beijing.”

By the way, when one of us asked ex-Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, a Republican serving as Obama’s ambassador to China, about the current ideological fight in the GOP, he answered, “It’s a good time to be in Beijing.” He seemed genuinely bemused by Palin-palooza, and said every time he gets sucked into paying a tiny bit of attention, he throws himself back into work on China issues. Do remember that Huntsman, a moderate who at one time was seen as a possible 2012 GOP candidate, saw a local Michigan GOP chapter cancel an event with Huntsman due to his centrist views (like his support for civil unions).