Huntsman criticizes Romney’s Mass. job performance

GREER, S.C. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is criticizing rival Mitt Romney for his record on job creation while Massachusetts governor.

Huntsman — a former Utah governor — has pledged to run a civil campaign. But he’s telling South Carolina voters that it is fair game to begin comparing records of his Republican opponents. That includes Romney, the front-runner for the GOP nomination.

Huntsman is in the midst of two-day swing through key early voting South Carolina. He told voters on Monday at a packed barbecue restaurant that he did better than Romney while governor, saying that Utah ranked first in job creation while Massachusetts was 47th.

Romney’s campaign is countering, saying that the Massachusetts governor knows more about real-world job creation and cutting joblessness.