Former Utah Governor and US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to set up a Federal political action committee (PAC) as he explores the possibility of a presidential run in 2012.

From The Hill:

Former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman established a federal political action committee on Tuesday as a possible precursor to running for president. 

Huntsman, a centrist former Republican governor of Utah, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to set up a national version of the "Horizon PAC" his supporters had organized during his final months as ambassador. 

The new federal PAC, H-PAC, should give Huntsman an opportunity to formalize infrastructure and staff in case he decides to pursue the Republican presidential nomination. 

Huntsman's backers had organized some of the framework for a potential campaign over the past few months, but they weren't allowed any coordination with Huntsman while he was still ambassador. 

During that time, they established "Horizon PAC," which existed at the state level.

 

Huntsman is not a well known figure nationally but he does come from the sane wing of the GOP. In fact, you could say that he has that segment of the Republican party locked up. Unfortunately, the trouble for Huntsman is that much of the rank & file GOP primary voters are certifiable. It's hard to see Erick Erickson of Red State, to pick just one demented soul, backing a Jon Huntsman.

I suspect that Huntsman is really looking at 2016 probably surmising that the GOP in 2012 is going to go off the rails with its Tea Party infused radicalism. Come 2016, Huntsman may be able to pick up the pieces what is looking more and more a Republican train wreck next year at least on the presidential level.

Governor Haley Barbour of Mississippi announced he would not seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a former high powered Washington lobbyist, said in a statement he could not totally commit himself to the "all-consuming effort" required for a White House candidate.

"A candidate for president today is embracing a 10-year commitment to an all-consuming effort, to the virtual exclusion of all else. His (or her) supporters expect and deserve no less than absolute fire in the belly from their candidate. I cannot offer that with certainty, and total certainty is required," he said.

Barbour went on to thank his supporters.

“Hundreds of people have encouraged me to run and offered both to give and raise money for a presidential campaign. Many volunteers have organized events in support of my pursuing the race. Some have dedicated virtually full time to setting up preliminary organizations in critical, early states and to helping plan what has been several months of intensive activity,” he stated.“ I greatly appreciate each and every one of them and all their outstanding efforts. If I have disappointed any of them in this decision, I sincerely regret it."

Though not mention in his statement, his wife, Marsha Barbour, told the ABC television affiliate in Biloxi, Mississippi earlier this month that she found the prospect of a presidential "overwhelming" and that it "horrified" her. "It's been a lot to be first lady of the state of Mississippi and this would be 50 times bigger," she said in the interview aired on April 2 by WLOX in Biloxi. "It's a huge sacrifice for a family to make."

Beyond his wife's hesitancy, Barbour's decision was likely impacted by his lackluster performance. In polling to date among likely GOP voters Barbour placed consistently in the low single digits, though Barbour did win a straw poll of Charleston County (South Carolina) GOP officials just last week. Still despite being well-known in national political circles, Barbour remains largely a name unknown to most Americans.

Barbour's decision to not seek the GOP nomination likely makes the candidacy of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels increasingly likely. More from Politico.

Once again the right has shown that they will sink to any level, and I mean ANY level to advance their agenda.  Putting images of Hitler and a swastika on the same page as former U.S. Presidents to convey your point is far outside the mainstream of acceptable advertising tactics.

Ad linking Granholm to Hitler is Under Fire

Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Republican challenger Dick DeVos were in rare agreement Thursday -- the campaign they are waging against each other doesn't have anything to do with Adolf Hitler.

Granholm and DeVos were responding to a full-page ad appearing in this week's edition of the Detroit-based Michigan Chronicle newspaper that featured photographs of Hitler and Granholm and accused Democrats of taking African-American voters for granted.

The racist ad itself is included after the jump...

There's more...