Huntsman, who is trailing in the polls but is working to build a campaign that could deny front-runner Mitt Romney the nod, criticized those who question the science behind climate change and loathe government's role in fighting it. His tough message was unlikely to endear him to conservatives who hold great sway in the party's nominating process.

"Conservation is conservative. I'm not ashamed to be a conservationist. I also believe that science should be driving our discussions on climate change," he added.

Well, yes, legitimate science ought to be driving this discussion, not the toilet-paper, sloppily-researched college student opinion piece that was exposed for the garbage that it is a couple of winters ago (in what is now derisively referred to as "climategate").

However, last night Romney-lite couldn't seem to avoid sticking his foot into his mouth on another issue either:

From the podium, Huntsman ... criticized them for not being more involved in the political fight of the hour just up the street at the U.S. Capitol: a debate over a measure that would raise the nation's debt limit and avoid a government default.

"None of us should be standing idly by during the 2012 election cycle as we are about to hand down, for the first time in our history, a country that is less good than the one we got," he said.  "None of my opponents have supported a plan that would allow us to avoid default," he said. "This is not a time, ladies and gentlemen, to play politics. ... The world is watching."