In a PBS interview last week, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, seeker of the Republican presidential nomination, was asked what he thought of Warren Buffet’s assertion that the rich should be taxed more heavily.

“Well, I would say that there’s going to have to be a shared sacrifice in this country,” Huntsman responded. Republican alarm bells were immediately set off. Well, not immediately. The interview was on PBS, after all. But once it was posted on the website of The Washington Times, people in the party Huntsman wants to represent in next fall’s presidential election took notice.

Huntsman told the interviewer that, no, he didn’t mean to tax the rich more, which is exactly what Obama means when he uses the euphemism “shared sacrifice.” No, Huntsman said he meant that maybe the rich would pay into Social Security and Medicare, but not receive benefits.

When he again said “we’re going to have to ask for sacrifice,” the interviewer asked, “What does that mean, though, specifically?”

Huntsman’s response: “Over time, we’re going to figure that out.”

Great. Before the New Hampshire primary would be nice, if it’s not too much trouble. In the meantime, Huntsman has given Republican voters another reason to question his ideological leanings. Appropriating class warfare rhetoric from the current redistributionist President is no way to assure Republicans that you’re playing on the same team.