McCain & Mormons

Political junkies have noticed an interesting back-and-forth surrounding the competition among GOP presidential aspirants – specifically Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — for the endorsement of their fellow GOP governors…. Today comes more interesting news there…

McCain today announced that he has secured the support of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr…. Huntsman Jr is the governor of Utah, and from one of the most prestigious Mormon families in the U.S.   

Huntsman Jr’s is dis of Romney, who hopes to become to first Mormon president of the U.S., "was absolutely a surprise," Kirk Jowers, head of the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics and legal counsel to Romney’s Commonwealth PACs, TOLD THE DESERET NEWS.

"The Huntsman family, including the governor, have been extremely supportive of Gov. Romney."

Huntsman’s support for McCain is not so new — this summer he agreed to serve as a co-chairman of McCain’s Straight Talk America political action committee. His dad, billionaire philanthropist Jon Huntsman, is a big Romney-backer. And while Huntsman Jr has served as an informal adviser to Romney on foreign policy matters, he has now thrown his weight to a candidate who believes in saints not so latter day — a significant endorsement within Mormon politics….

Our pal Marc Ambinder at the National Journal TODAY OFFERS MORE on the McCain campaign team.

– jt