This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Huntsman's first debate. Romney tops Huntsman in Utah. Delta cuts 170 jobs.
Happy Friday. Jon Huntsman made his debate debut last night in Iowa, Mitt Romney defended his Massachusetts health care plan and the two Minnesotans in the race did not display that "Minnesota nice" attitude we're used to. My wrap-up: [Trib].
-> On the ground analysis: "Jon Huntsman: He was scoop of vanilla in a dish of rocky road. Smooth, a little bland, and different from the rest. Huntsman isn't campaigning in Iowa and his positions such as defending civil unions for same-sex couples would scuttle him with most GOP caucusgoers." [DMR]
-> Meanwhile, a new Tribune poll confirms what we already knew: Romney crushes Huntsman among Utah Republican voters. [Trib]
Topping the news: Delta Air Lines cuts its Salt Lake City flights by 14 percent and SkyWest lays off 170 workers in response. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Lawmakers are on the road hitting national conferences and some lobbyists are following along. New rules ban some previous lobbyist-sponsored activities but a loophole allows other events with no public reports filed and a lifting of limits on spending. [Trib]
-> Paul Rolly reports that former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is disassociating himself from the Democratic Party until it grows a "spine." [Trib]
Tweet of the day: From Nate Silver @FiveThirtyEight: "Among GOPers, @RickSantorum has added most Twitter followers in past 24 hrs (+2884). 2nd: @JonHuntsman, +1311. 3rd: @MittRomney, +1016."
Happy birthday: To my wife and best friend, Jennifer Burr-Linn. On Saturday, send your birthday wishes to state Rep. Ryan Wilcox and on Sunday to SL Co. Councilman Michael Jensen and SLC mayoral adviser Helen Langan.
Where are they?
Sen. Orrin Hatch is in D.C. for a family wedding.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz attends a fund-raiser in Park City.
Gov. Gary Herbert is taking personal time.
AG Mark Shurtleff is in Orlando, Fla., for the National Leadership Conference on Youth Access to Alcohol.
SL Co. Mayor Peter Corroon attends the grand opening of Big Lots in downtown SLC, hits the Dannon presentation to the YMCA and helps judge a pie baking contest at the SL County Fair as well as hand out awards for the classic car show.
SLC Mayor Ralph Becker meets with Community and Economic Development Director Frank Gray and then joins the Human Rights Campaign nationwide bus tour kickoff.
President Barack Obama meets with business leaders to discuss the economy in the Roosevelt Room and later welcomes the Super Bowl Champs Green Bay Packers to the White House.
In other news: First Lady Michelle Obama got more than donations when she swung through Park City; she got swag. [ParkRecord]
-> Rep. Chaffetz is making friends outside his district and sounding more and more like he's going to challenge Sen. Hatch. [StandEx]
-> Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick discuss Chaffetz's town halls, Huntsman's campaign turmoil and whether the national parties are meddling in Utah's redistricting. [UtahPolicy]
-> Bernick says it's all about the waiting game when it comes to the 2012 match-ups. [UtahPolicy]
-> Gov. Herbert is blogging, though his staff and Cabinet will be contributors, too. [Utah.gov]
-> Federal Judge Dee Benson keeps his perfect record of sentencing convicted illegal artifacts traffickers to probation. [Trib]
-> ABC4's Chris Vanocur continues his reporting on Hatch's $120,000 pension he'll get if he leaves Congress. [ABC4] (BTW, The Tribune reported on this in 2005 and 2008, so exclusive is a bit of a stretch.)
-> Daily Kos pokes fun of Sen. Mike Lee for likening himself to a modern-day Paul Revere. [DailyKos]-> Transportation and transit officials look into Utah's future and see lots of light-rail, possibly wireless, and scores of developments around rail stations. [Trib]-> The Salvation Army has run into hard times and is no longer going to be able to paid for a nightly dinner for the poor at the St. Vincent De Paul dining hall in Salt Lake City. [Trib]-> Nationally, new jobless claims dropped. In Utah they crept up a bit. [Trib]-> Labor Secretary Hilda Solis is in Utah to spread the word that heat and dehydration can injure or kill workers. [Trib] [DNews]-> The deadline for mail-in voter registration is coming up fast. [Trib]-> EnergySolutions and the Department of Energy are holding a public meeting on radioactive containers. [Trib]-> Pat Bagley says that when it comes time to reviving the Republican idea of privatizing Social Security, timing is everything. [Trib]
2012 watch: Huntsman camp claims debate victory. [Examiner]
-> Fun fact: The Salt Lake Tribune got what I believe is its first citation in a presidential debate on Thursday night when Fox News pulled a quote from Huntsman from our archives.
-> Kasie Hunt reports Huntsman's advisers hung around in the debate spin room for just a bit and then took off. [Politico]
-> A quick summation of the best moments: [WaPost].
-> Romney tried to lay low and let his rivals spar. [BostonHerald]
-> Romney: Corporations are people, too. [Hotline] [WaPost] Video: [TPM]
-> The largest share of Romney's charitable giving is tithing to the LDS Church and donations to BYU. [HuffPost]
-> Stephen Colbert: "One of these guys could be our next president. The other one is Jon Huntsman." [ComedyCentral]
-> Huntsman warms a bit to Iowa but Iowans are still wondering who he is. [USAToday] At least he visited the butter cow. [Politico]
-> Huntsman adviser will continue to lobby while pushing his candidate. [Politico]
-> Two watchdog groups have filed new complaints against a PAC supporting Romney. [Globe]
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com.
— Thomas BurrTwitter.com/thomaswburrwith editor Dan Harrie