Jon Huntsman won't ask his billionaire father to dump millions into a political action committee to save his campaign, and his father won't donate unless he's asked, The New York Times' Jim Rutenberg and Nicholas Confessore report. The pro-Huntsman group Our Destiny is spending $750,000 on television ads in New Hampshire, which begin airing Tuesday. The ad campaign is "the result of an emotionally fraught, behind-the-scenes drama" over how much Jon Huntsman Sr. will give. The son's campaign probably needs him to donate "millions more," The Times writes.

The Washington Post reports that the ads are meant to increase Huntsman's name recognition in the first primary state, which remains low even though he's spent a ton of time there. "The world is literally collapsing and no one has shown up we can trust as a conservative, who actually has a chance to win, and not some phony who tells me one thing and you another," the ad says. "Where's that guy?" But even the elder Huntsman isn't sure that guy will be his son, The Times reports:

Mr. Huntsman has been loath to ask his father to up his commitment to the outside group, several people familiar with the situation said. His father, on the other hand, they said, has been unwilling to do so without being asked, especially given the uncertainty of whether the investment would make a huge difference.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ereeve at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Elspeth Reeve