Shorter Version of Jon Huntsman: "Let Ghaddafi Slaughter the Rebels."

That's not what he said, of course. What he said was this:

I would have chosen from the beginning not to intervene in Libya. I would say that is not core to our national security interest.

I'll give a nod to the point that his stance is at odds with most other Republican politicians and the conservative bloviators, almost all of whom were critical of the Obama Administration for not intervening faster and more forcefully.

My point is saying that "we shouldn't have intervened" is no different from saying that "Ghaddafi should be free to slaughter the rebels." Oh, I'm sure that Huntsman would never ever make such a statement. (At least he wouldn't say it before a microphone.)

But the slaughtering of the rebels would have been the practical effect of not intervening. I do not know of anyone, other than a Ghaddafi loyalist, who would say otherwise.