EASTON, Md., February 17, 2012 — Talk about a bump in the road: Rick Santorum's biggest supporter, Foster Friess, has just become his biggest headache with his so-called aspirin joke. What's a candidate to do?
Friess (pronounced freeze), who owns a billion dollar company, funds Right Wing causes from the Koch brothers initiatives to Tucker Carlson's website. And if it weren't for Friess, Santorum's campaign would still be stalled. But along came Friess to the rescue. Without his infusion of cash into the Santorum Super PAC the Red, White and Blue Fund, Santorum would be limping along, but barely. Friess not only bankrolled Santorum, he attracted other Right Wing money to the campaign, big donations and small. And now according to a round up of major national polls of Republicans by Clarus, Santorum leads Mitt Romney 35% to 30%.
Then came the Friess blooper, goof, misspeak, joke — call it what you will — on Thurday's Andrea Mitchell Show: "Back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn't that costly." Translation: if a woman pressed an aspirin between her legs, she wouldn't be able to open them and get pregnant.
Friess later apologized for his remarks, sort of. But it is too late.
Foster Friess at Skidmore
No one is laughing. Certainly not women who are outraged. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) is among them, castigating Friess on the Senate floor. Certainly not Santorum who now must make the rounds on TV, trying to distance himself from Friess and his remarks while saying he "not responsible" for comments his supporters make and that his record speaks for itself.
Yet Friess was speaking for the Santorum campaign on the MSNBC show when he made his so-called attempt at humor.
Santorum blames it on gotcha politics. And you're right, Rick. Gotcha.
Just look at what Santorum himself had to say in 2006 about birth control when he admitted that he is "not a believer in birth control."
Then last October in another interview (see video below), Santorum said birth control is "not okay" and he would make it a public policy issue when is President. "I think it's harmful to women; I think it's harmful to society." He promised when elected to "get rid of any idea that you have to have abortion coverage or contraceptive coverage."
Hmmm… wonder how that will play in Peoria? Or Indianapolis? Or Sioux City? Nearly all women use or have used contraception during their life times. So who is Santorum appealing to? Those guys who testified before California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa's committee this past week? All men. All anti-contraception.
The problem for Santorum is that now all anyone is talking about is aspirin and birth control. No one is talking about economy or other issues supposedly dear to Santorum's heart. He is having to spend precious campaign time defending his extremist views and that of his key supporter. It's the talk of the nation. And if Santorum is the Republican candidate in the fall, this blip along the road to November will come back to haunt him.
Talk about a headache. Take two aspirins, Rick.
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