In a story originally broken by the Las Vegas Sun, we learn that Jon Huntsman Jr’s family donated to Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) re-election bid back in 2010. The total sum of money from the Huntsman clan totals $24,000.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who said this week he prefers Jon Huntsman to Mitt Romney in the GOP Mormon presidential primary, has taken a lot of money from the Huntsman family, and the former Utah governor appointed Reid’s son, Josh, to Utah’s Board of Regents.

So no wonder Reid said Tuesday, “If I had a choice in that race, I’d choose Huntsman over Romney.”

And if they had a choice – and they did – many members of the newly minted presidential candidate’s family, including his parents, chose Reid in the most important U.S. Senate race in the country last cycle. Indeed, the Huntsmans have long been Reid supporters, although the former governor, who is scheduled to be be in Nevada on Friday, has never given directly to Reid’s Senate campaigns.

Again, the presidential hopeful did not donate ANY money to Sen. Reid’s campaign and tweeted this:

@JonHuntsman: I’ve never donated a dime to @HarryReid and wouldn’t. My record in Utah balancing budgets very different from his.

This is pretty terrible news for Huntsman. Not only does he now appear to have ties to the Democratic Senate Majority leader, he also has ties to the feared Democratic President: Probably the last two people any GOP hopeful want as perceived allies in their quest for POTUS. The worst thing, I think, is that if you go to www.jonhuntsman.com you don’t get his campaign website… that’s www.jon2012.com. Over at the first link is his love letter to Obama, surrounded by a background of hearts. Someone did a bad job of buying domain names for their campaign. But this is just one example of how the right is reacting to any mere perception of being complacent towards Obama. It’s dangerous, and it’s worth being hung out to dry for. Over at Hot Air, here are the comments on their related article:

Harry Reid – The finest politician that the Hunstman Family money could buy.

Goonight, Jon-Boy.

kingsjester on June 23, 2011 at 3:26 PM

When we’re in the fight of our lives for the future of America, connections and ideas do matter. Huntsman is shaping up to be a republican of convenience, not conviction. If there was ever a time and place for the Nelson Rockefellers, that time has come and gone. What’s needed is a constitutional conservative. Plain & simple, RINOs and CINOs need not apply..

AH_C on June 23, 2011 at 3:26 PM
The definition “RINO” is somehow lacking in this case…I’m thinking “Tool” is better.

Oil Can on June 23, 2011 at 3:18 PM

Instant disqualification.

Huntsman….GO HOME

Opposite Day on June 23, 2011 at 3:18 PM

Yeah, but there were many Republicans here at HotAir who loudly bashed Angle while she tried to defeat Reid.

Huntsman Republicans are traitorous slime.

portlandon on June 23, 2011 at 3:19 PM

Cya huntsman

cmsinaz on June 23, 2011 at 3:20 PM

Huntsman must be destroyed….

.politically.

blatantblue on June 23, 2011 at 3:20 PM