DeMint Won't Back Huntsman Because of Budget

Sen. Jim DeMint says he cannot support Jon Huntsman’s presidential bid because the former Utah governor has indicated he would not sign the South Carolina Republican’s pledge vowing to "cut, cap, balance" the federal budget without raising taxes, Politico reports. “For me, he’s out,” DeMint said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

DeMint has asked GOP presidential candidates to sign the pledge. Agreeing to do so so far are former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, and former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain.

Huntsman said on CNN last week that “other than the Pledge of Allegiance, I don’t do a whole lot of pledges."

DeMint, a tea party favorite, declined to say who he is supporting, saying only: “I like a lot of them.”