Santorum’s Top Super PAC Donor Suggests Women Should Use Aspirin For Contraception
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(Image Credit: Andrew Goodman/Getty Images)
ABC News’ Michael Falcone reports:
The single largest donor to the super PAC supporting Rick Santorum’s presidential bid shocked MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell in an interview on Thursday when he suggested a novel approach to contraception on Thursday.
Foster Friess, the 71 year old Wyoming multi-millionaire offered this retort when Mitchell pressed him about whether he agreed with Santorum’s stance on contraception.
“Back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives,” Friess said. “The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.”
He smiled as he said it, but wasn’t laughing. The remark alludes to an old joke about abstinence.
“Excuse me, I’m just trying to catch my breath from that, Mr. Friess,” his visibly surprised interviewer replied. “Let’s change the subject.”
Here’s the full quote:
FRIESS: “I get such a chuckle when these things come out. Here we have millions of our fellow Americans unemployed. We have jihadist camps being set up in central – in Latin America, which Rick has been warning about, and people seem to be so preoccupied with sex. I think it says something about our culture. We maybe need a massive therapy session so we can concentrate on what the real issues are. And this contraceptive thing, my gosh, it’s so — such inexpensive. Back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.”
Later in the interview Mitchell pressed Friess again on Santorum’s position on contraception (the candidate supports a woman’s legal access to most birth control methods, but is personally opposed to it). “Who cares?” Friess said.
Friess, said in an interview with ABC News earlier this week that he would continue to keep cash flowing to super PAC, the Red, White and Blue Fund, which on Thursday announced it had purchased nearly $700,000 of television ad time in Michigan.
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opened his mouth & inserted his foot. he is rude, crude and totally out of sync.
Posted by: Kate | February 16, 2012, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
“opened his mouth & inserted his foot. he is rude, crude and totally out of sync.”
Yep, a true blue, staunch Republican all the way.
Posted by: Disgusted with gop | February 16, 2012, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
If Santorum is the nominee, then the only ad Obama needs is a picture of the Pope, with the words: “Do you really want THIS man running America?” Even the born-again Baptists would be lining up to vote for Obama.
Posted by: thomas mc | February 16, 2012, 3:00 pm 3:00 pm
Do we have to have someone so stuck in the past and true blue represent me – I’m living in the 21st century and let’s face it, birth control has been around most of my life. Abortion has been around since about six weeks after humans first got pregnant – get over it.
Posted by: Jausti | February 16, 2012, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
In 1960, people figured that if Kennedy were elected, the Pope would be running things. It was not the case then. However, given Santorum’s positions on so many issues beng in lock -step with the Church, I do fear it could happen with this candidate. he has signed the Personhood Pledge, has many antiquated positions regarding women [not just contraception] and is an extreme hawk with respect to military and foreign policy.
Posted by: PKSK531 | February 16, 2012, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
Whats even more disturbing is that theres a lot of people who believes the same way Mr. Friess believes.
Posted by: ridep | February 16, 2012, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Yeah, the last thing we need is access to birth control!
The half a million kids rotting in our foster care system will tell you that!!
Posted by: Angela | February 16, 2012, 3:37 pm 3:37 pm
Yeah, the last thing we need is access to birth control! The half a million kids rotting in our foster care system will tell you that!!POSTED BY: ANGELA | FEBRUARY 16, 2012, 3:37 PM 3:37 PM
Please tell us where in this country women are denied birth control or abortions, matter of fact, health sec.Sibelius is all for LATE TERM abortions, so if pregnancy does not fit into your agenda just abort it, if the dress won’t fit, abort it, if it interferes with your vacation abort it. so if you want to have 5 min. Of fun, then PAY for the pill yourself.
Posted by: Lizzie | February 16, 2012, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Why would anyone be surprised by this type of flat out ignorance from a major Santorum supporter?
Posted by: CND FOX | February 16, 2012, 5:38 pm 5:38 pm
I think the editor who summarized the story for ABC’s email doesn’t get the joke. The woman puts the aspirin between her knees. (The aspirin is irrelevant. The closed knees keep the girl from getting pregnant.)
Posted by: Jeffrey | February 16, 2012, 6:34 pm 6:34 pm
I really don’t think you get the drift Jeffrey. Everyone gets the reference to the ‘aspirin between the legs’. I am around 10 yrs. junior to this goofball and but he is obviously stuck in the 30′s. ‘Gals put it between their legs’. Gals is the key word here. Not women, not spouse, not wife. But ‘gals’. To this moron women are considered ‘chattel’ or property. And this is the way Santorum and his followers want the world to be.
Posted by: Tim | February 16, 2012, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
Yeah and every night I PRAY away tge republic can party SO FAR working well getting the job done I will never live in a world that any of these republicans would be my President never ….work on jobs jobs jobs jobs jobs jobs
Posted by: Robin | February 16, 2012, 7:40 pm 7:40 pm
Lizzie… You are so right. Animals are treated with more respect than the unborn child. Look at all the poor sobby stories about the poor little dog or cat. But they think nothing about the defenseless unborn baby. You wonder why this country is in such trouble, look at the mentality of some people. Get rid of God and look what you get. May God have mercy on these people and change their mind and heart.
Posted by: Ann | February 16, 2012, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
This story just proves once again, Liberals have no sense of humor!! I just wish this Friess fellow wad running for office so I could vote for him.
Posted by: jackie loughman | February 16, 2012, 11:17 pm 11:17 pm
Mr Friess thinks unwanted pregnancy is a crude joke that back in the day would never have been told in public. He is making these nervous comments because folks like Senator Santorum have [belatedly] been exposed by their own over-reaching, as always [remember TERRI SCHIAVO?!].
This contraception flap has unmasked the “right-to-life” crowd, most of whom have never really been about stopping abortions. If that were so, they would be in favor of free and open access to contraceptives in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies! Instead, they have consistantly blocked all funding for any family planning, contraception, or even condoms to protect uninfected marriage partners of AIDS sufferers in Africa.
Not only is Mr Friess wrong, he is a bit too smug since he has never had to worry about getting pregnant himself.
Posted by: JimC | February 17, 2012, 6:32 am 6:32 am
JimC | February 17, 2012, 6:32 am post ——– Absolutely correct. But that’s just part of their hypocrisy. Since 98% of all Christian women use birth control at some point in their life, THEY THEMSELVES are going against their own church’s rulings and teachings. Do as I say, but not as I do, is the Republican way.
Posted by: Disgusted with gop | February 17, 2012, 11:08 am 11:08 am
That joke is so old……. and I am pushing 70 – it was old when I was a teenager..
It just shows the hypocrisy of the media that they would make an issue out of that unless they just wanted to stir the pot. If it had been a Democrat that had said that, Andrea would have just chuckled and gone on with the interview.
Posted by: Vinny | February 17, 2012, 6:35 pm 6:35 pm
I was going to comment on the contraceptive issue but some people keep bringing up the Terry Schiavo case. I feel compelled to talk about this issue.
Rick Santorum stepped in to defend the right of Ms. Schiavo to live. She had parents and siblings who wanted very much to care for her needs. Her estranged husband who was openly living with another woman, for whatever reason, decided that his wife should die. Think about it. Would you want a spouse who was openly living with someone else making life and death decisions for you? Seems to be somewhat of a conflict of interest there.
The courts decided in favor of the estranged husband and Terry was taken off all food and water–the only “medical care” she was receiving. Do you consider the food and water you eat to be medical care? She lived for at least 13 days, dying of dehydration and starvation. We would jail someone who did that to an animal.
Posted by: Laurettas | February 18, 2012, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm