Ambassador to China hints at run against commander in chief

President Obama's ambassador to China hinted that he hasn't ruled out a 2012 challenge to the commander in chief.

In an interview with Newsweek, former Utah Gov. John Huntsman (R), who was sent to Beijing by Obama in August 2009, was asked about his presidential aspirations in his new Washington home.

“You know, I’m really focused on what we’re doing in our current position,” he said. “But we won’t do this forever, and I think we may have one final run left in our bones.”

Asked if he would rule out a 2012 run, Huntsman declined to comment.

“I’m not announcing anything at all,” he said.

The article quotes embassy sources as lauding the work Huntsman has done at his China post. But the former governor also promised his family that they would "come up for air" sometime in 2010 to figure out how long they would stay in Beijing and what their next move would be.

Newsweek also spoke with sources close to Huntsman who said that while visiting the U.S. in December, the ambassador met with political advisers in Washington and Utah to discuss a potential campaign.