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I heard from some listeners after my Huntsman comments the day he announced that thought I was too dismissive of him.  It was the typical criticism: "You know, Heck, you don't always have to agree with Limbaugh."  And while that's very true, I contend that it stands to reason that I will agree with Rush Limbaugh quite often given our similar views on politics.

I haven't gotten a chance to hear Rush's remarks on Jon Huntsman, but based on what I know of the former Utah Governor, I would guess that most true conservatives are going to feel about him the way I do: he's a RINO without conservative convictions, and the last thing the Republican Party needs to field in 2012 as the country desperately craves real change.

As an example, take this line from Huntsman's announcement:

For the first time in our history, we are passing down to the next generation a country that is less powerful, less compassionate, less competitive and less confident than the one we got," Huntsman said. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is totally unacceptable and totally un-American," he said.

Did you notice a key word in that litany of "less?"  Less powerful?  Yep.  Less competitive?  You got it, Jon.  Less confident?  Preach it brother Huntsman.  Less compassionate?

Eeeerrrrrrr...ka-boooooom!

With verbiage that harkens back to the Bush mantra of "compassionate conservatism," Huntsman reveals the man behind the curtain.  The word "compassion," when articulated by a politician is the code word they drop right before they make some spectacular proposal to spend a ton more of your money that we just don't have to spend right now.

If we are a less compassionate people - and I'll let you take that up with the folks in Japan, Haiti, and other places where the goodness of Americans has once again been on display for the world to see - it's only because our government has grown so large, and has begun taking so much from people, that they just don't have the means to exercise that personal charity anymore.

In my column this week, I lamented the sorry state of liberal compassion, noting how when compassion is turned over to the government rather than the individual, it becomes a tool for political purposes.  That Jon Huntsman is taking his talking points straight from the left's cue cards is a perfect indication of what kind of candidate he is - and a perfect explanation of why Rush Limbaugh and I agree that he isn't the man to take on Obama.