Huntsman's political operatives reportedly were doing some recruiting for a new Republican state chair until the governor's camp was reminded by a few party veterans that protocol suggests he butt out of the selection process.

It is party tradition that the top political office holder up for re-election in the next election cycle gets the privilege of choosing a party chair to run for the office. While the chair is elected democratically by the delegates, the blessing of the office holder generally goes a long way toward the eventual selection of the blessed one.

Sen. Orrin Hatch is up for re-election in 2006 and, therefore, according to custom, the anointment is his call, not Huntsman's, who still seems to be feeling his way around political niceties.

Hatch reportedly made it clear that he likes Joe Cannon, who has expressed his desire to run for a third two-year term at the helm of the sometimes dysfunctional Utah Republican Party. (Remember the time the delegates booed Hatch and then-Gov. Mike Leavitt at the GOP state convention? There was another time when Cannon tried to convince representatives at an Eagle Forum convention that they should endorse the Republican nominee even if that candidate is not as conservative as they would like. He was shouted down.)

Cannon was the choice of Sen. Bob Bennett two years ago when Bennett was facing re-election in 2004 and, therefore, was up to bat in the party chairman selection process. When Leavitt was up for re-election several years ago, his choice was Frank Suitter, who was dutifully elected chairman.

Huntsman, once informed of the protocol and Hatch's desires, was gracious in backing away from the process, Republican insiders report. Besides, Huntsman will get his turn at anointment in 2007, as he will be up for re-election in 2008.

But the alleged recruitment of Republican knights-in-waiting to replace Cannon indicates some healing still is needed for the wounds of a contentious fight for the gubernatorial nomination last year.

One name that was tossed about as a possible Cannon replacement was Ellis Ivory, whose stock was elevated among thankful Republicans when he became the party standard bearer in the Salt Lake County mayor's race after scandal-rocked incumbent Nancy Workman had to drop out of the race. Another was Tim Bridgewater, who Huntsman later named as his education advisor.

The Huntsman faithful had some misgivings toward the party - and Cannon, in particular - when the Republican State Committee hired political director Bill Fagergren, who had worked on the campaign of Huntsman's GOP primary opponent, Nolan Karras, and welcomed back party fund-raiser Liv Olafsson, who had taken a leave of absence to work on Karras' campaign.

There was a feeling among the supporters of Huntsman and his lieutenant governor running mate, Gary Herbert, that too many Republican Party employees were taking sides in the primary and helping Karras.

Feelings were further strained after Huntsman was elected and then put together an elaborate inaugural ball without asking for any assistance from the party.

But some party aides, who worked for other Republican candidates during the nomination process, say that Huntsman's style is healthy for the party because he has brought in his own contingent of supporters and new blood to party operations.

Cannon, who most Republicans credit for doing a good job at navigating the tides stirred up by warring factions of the large, growing and gluttonous party, tried to remain above the fray in the gubernatorial civil war that at one time had nine Republican candidates before Huntsman emerged as the last standing.

But Cannon was caught unwittingly in the middle of the controversy after State Republican Vice Chair Enid Greene agreed to run as Karras' lieutenant governor running mate and Olafsson took leave to work on the Karras campaign.

Whether Huntsman's anger was real or imagined is not clear, but the perception of possible retribution was strong enough that when Karras was asked to appear at a press conference to endorse Huntsman after the primary, Karras wanted to meet with Huntsman first and get assurances that no punishment would be exacted against Congressman Rob Bishop or former State GOP Executive Director Spencer Stokes, who both had strongly endorsed Karras.

Cannon, meanwhile, has been considered a friend of the Huntsman family since he was one of the Republicans who early on sided with Jon Huntsman Sr. when he was considering running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination against GOP incumbent Norm Bangerter.

That didn't exactly enamor Bangerter toward Cannon, but they all still are able to live (for the most part) Ronald Reagan's Eleventh Commandment: Republicans shalt not speak ill of other Republicans.