Obama Trying to Kill GOP Contenders With Kindness

A couple of weeks ago Obama went out of his way to praise Mitt Romney for his work in implementing Romneycare in Massachusetts.  That was clearly an effort to undermine Romney with conservatives.

Today it's Jon Huntsman's turn:

The White House is showing no signs of letting up on its campaign for Ambassador Jon Huntsman’s presidential prospects - if anything, it’s in pile-on mode.

Chief of Staff Bill Daley on Sunday heaped praise on Huntsman (R), Obama’s ambassador to China who is resigning his post and is said to be mulling a challenge to his boss for the presidency.

“He’s done an excellent job on behalf of the Obama administration,” Daley said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he was barely able to suppress a smile as he spoke.

Then Daley went into overdrive. “[Huntsman’s] support of the Obama administration, his support of the president, the things he did on behalf of the administration, and the closeness in which he worked with the president is most appreciated. And I’m sure he’ll talk about that in the Republican primary.”

Obama knows that his endorsement is pure poison in the eyes of conservative Republicans. Expect similar statements of support for anyone else who looks like a serious candidate for the GOP nomination.