Foster Friess is perhaps best known as the very wealthy benefactor behind Rick Santorum's super PAC. As of this morning, he'll probably be known for something else.
During an interview with MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell, Friess tried to make the case that the presidential campaign should focus on substantive issues, but in the process, he made some jaw-dropping comments about contraception. Here's the clip, by way of Zeke Miller:
For those who can't watch clips online, here's the full quote:
"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 Latin America, which Rick has been warning about, and people seem to be so preoccupied with sex. I think that 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 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."
For her part, Mitchell seemed rather stunned, which is the only appropriate reaction. This is, after all, the 21st century. Friess' comments aren't just offensive -- did he really have to say "gals" while arguing against birth control? -- they're hopelessly ridiculous. That he seemed pleased with himself for saying this on national television only added insult to injury.
Friess is not an official in the Santorum campaign, but given his role as the super PAC financier, it seems likely the former senator will be pressed for a reaction to the aspirin-as-contraception comments, as he should. Given Santorum's anti-contraception agenda, his response should prove interesting.
That the comments coincided with the House hearing on contraception access -- featuring a male-only panel of conservative critics -- only makes the larger Republican war on contraception that much more obvious.
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I think Santorum is a time traveler from the 1950"s . Look at his views on birth control, abortion even in the case of rape( the woman should just suck it up and make the best of it), I think everyone wore sweater vests like his back then too.
Does anyone know if Friess is married with children, or did his wife pretend that she "couldn't have any" children?!? Really with all of the things going on in this country let alone the world, why oh why is the GOP stuck up women's wombs?
Freud coined the phrase "penis envy", can I coin the phrase "womb envy"?
All you really need to look at to get that is Santorum's hair!
All you really need to look at to get that is Santorum's hair!
Strictly from casual observance, I would suspect his wife uses the so-called Bayer Aspirin method tenaciously.
1850s...Santorum is from the 1850s and if he and the ilk have any say about it; they'll timewarp all of us straight back there.
As a woman I am disgusted and angered about this whole thing. If there are truly thousands of abortions a day, that leads to millions more people on the planet. Also it leads to more WIC and food stamps for those who can't afford to feed themselves, much less a child. There are reports EVERDAY of some child being horribly abused and I can guarantee you some of those tortured children WISHED that they had never been born...regardless, this is 2012 and we are strong. We proved that with outrage over the Komen decision and it was changed. Men, you better step out of the way. And this moron and the aspirin statement doesn't surprise me at all. Give me a break...
Obama 2012
Yes you idiot because back in your day it was the @!$%#ing 50's. Conservatives = ahh! we hate inflation....ya know, except for when it comes to the prices of things.
>.< sighh...this debate just becomes more and more stupid every second it keeps going on
What is the most astonishing thing is that there are seasoned GOP politicians who think this issue is a winner for them.
The GOP honestly believes that they are invincible- that the Overton Window can be moved on any issue- including birth control, or the viability of a Santorum candidacy. Are they Crazy like a fox (DailyKos story)? Or Crazy like a crazy person? They are pushing even conservative independents to a "WTF is wrong with these people?" reaction to this crazy stuff.
Good point, Mr. Friess, in these hard economic times why is the GOP, in general, and Mr. Santorum, in particular, so goddammed concerned about with whom law-abiding American citizens are having sex? Why are your ilk so pre-occupied with what we law-abiding and consenting adults are doing in our bedrooms (or other semi-private spaces). Why do you care if a man sexes up another consenting man? Why do you care that a lady pops a pill to prevent herself from getting pregnant after sex? Why are YOU so "pre-occupied" with sex?!? The people would like to know...
Additionally, why, during these hard economic times, are Republicans fighting contraception? During the Great Depression there was a booming condom industry, and the national birth rate plummeted. The saying back then was, "Condoms are cheaper than children." Right now people can barely afford to house and feed their dogs, let alone more children. Enough of the sanctimonious lecturing. We're trying to realistically cope with digging out of a worldwide financial crisis. Creating more human beings will only exacerbate the problem. Is that your intent?
my facebook commentary on "asprin between the knees":
my sincerest hope is that this entire campaign season is an elaborate satire, and sometime around August all these folks will take off their masks and leap out from behind sofas and shout "SURPRISE!" and reveal themselves to be part of the vastly extended, now 500+ person staff of the Colbert Report.
No, he meant that if they kept the aspirin between their knees, they'd have to keep their legs together, preventing invasion of the 'ladyparts'.
If anybody wants to know the history of that joke, I first saw it in Playboy magazine in the late 60's or early 70's.
Now we know what Friess was reading back then...
In no way do I defend Friess, however, I'm probably his age, and back then, before contraceptives (in the 50's) your mother told you to hold an aspirin between your legs. If you even slightly opened your legs, the believe was you'd make yourself available for sex. Hard to believe, but true!!! Even then, women were concerned about their health!!! Friess' statement just shows how old he is and how antiquated Santorum's beliefs are.
LOVE IT!!!
In order to win the Presidential election all President Obama has to do is let the Republicans keep talking.
Yeah, hilarious, except for the relentless, anti-woman !@#$ that becomes law in the meantime.
Yeah, hilarious, except for the relentless, anti-woman !@#$ that becomes law in the meantime.
Sadly those who will not vote for Pres O will never learn of this and so much more as they are FUXheads.
I'm sorry for the double post.
I may be wrong, but I think what this idiot meant was that if you hold an aspirin between your knees, you have to keep your legs together. Get it? Back in his day all the women were good girls, not whores who had s-e-x. Ugh.
That wasn't far from "back in my day:" I'm a mid-Boomer. And back then quite a few of us compared birthdates with our parents' anniversaries and came to some very interesting conclusions. (And fer sure never pay any mind to the stories our fathers told us about the War when we got older ourselves.)
obviously this is what he means, but it's more fun to think that he has no idea where ladyparts are. (hint: not between the knees)
An aspirin between the knees works almost as well as the rhythm method.
Which is not at all.
Of course the Priests also say that abstinence works, which is funny if you consider all the Church sex scandals.
They practice what they preach as well as Newt does.
Another method employed by the priests to prevent pregnancies was to have their sex with young boys. No ovaries involved...
Sheesh now I need an aspirin from laughing until my head hurts.
To look at the guy you would think they had to hold willow bark between their legs. I guess aspirin has been around a long time.
It was horrifying. He also made the comment 'who cares?' But then us 'gals' should just shut up. Kind of like Issa and his condescending comment to Rep. Mahoney...'this is about RELIGIOUS LIBERTY not contraception!' on why there are no women on the panel. Our teeny tiny brains just can't wrap them around that concept!!!
Here we have millions of our fellow Americans unemployed...and people seem to be so preoccupied with sex. I think that says something about our culture.
Which "people," Mr. Friess?
That would be "Republicans." Obama can't get any GOP votes for his jobs bill, nor do they have one of their own, but the Republicans in Congress (and elsewhere around the country) are at war against contraception.
We've got two different cultures in this country, Mr. Friess. One of them is sex-obsessed. It's yours.
Back in my days, they used Bayer Aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly.
Because back then, we all knew men wanted sex, and it was up to the 'gals' to keep babies from happening. 'Gals' wanted marriage, or at least the 'good girls' did, and only 'bad girls' actually wanted sex. So the 'good girls' kept that aspirin locked between their knees until they got that ring, and if they got horny too and let go of that aspirin, that made them 'bad girls' by definition.
Man, we had some ridiculous notions about sex back then! Thank goodness we (well, most of us, anyway) have put a lot of ground in between then and now.
I am not a fan of Sen. Santorum or his pre-enlightenment views however Mr Friess and I are about the same age and the joke about aspirin as a contraceptive is as old as the hills. I have used it myself and never intended any disrespect nor imagined any to be taken (until now). The use of "Gals" is also outdated but ,again, I don't feel disrespect was intended.
Bottom line, I suggest Mr Friess was showing his age more than some mean spiritness although I don't know the man - just willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Jim
I understand where you're coming from - Friess may not be ready for prime-time, but I can't give him the benefit of the doubt. Anyone who seriously backs Santorum for president has several screws loose.
...and there is the problem, making light of serious issues because they are disproportionately affecting women isn't funny, at all, and is, in fact, insulting. Not to mention this was on the news, not at the Rotary club on sat night with all his pals. Completely 100% inappropriate.
I mean, you don't say Negroes anymore do you?
it may not have been Mr. Friess' intention to offend by using the word "gal" but as it is offensive this would color him at least as ignorant. but speaking publicly and ostensibly as someone with authority does bring him back pretty close to being willfully offensive.
I would suggest that just because it wasn't referred to as offensive back in your day, doesn't actually make it even remotely OK. In this century we do not always feel the need to suggest that women or girls are solely responsible for preventing pregnancy, some of us actually put the onus on men from time to time.
If that wasn't mean-spirited, if saying 'who cares' really comes from being an old white dude rather than an old white dude who looks down on women, then that's a pretty unfortunate state of affairs and one that I don't particularly believe in.
It's 2012 and even old men should be cognizant enough to know not to stand for this kind of crap.
No billionaire deserves the benefit of the doubt.
they are who we thought they were. plain and simple.
My concern is that Obama will revert to his "lets all get along mode" and not take full advantage of the Debacle that the Republicans are trapping themselves in. Now is the time for Democrats to push the advantage.
As fun as it is to point and laugh at the hypocrisy, self-contradiction, and general comedy that is the Republican party these days, Obama will not attract or keep independent and moderate votes by abandoning the "let's all get along mode." That's why he continually proves himself to be top-quality Presidential material. Lead the country by the example of how we all should/would act in a more perfect union.
According to the polls Obama's approval among independents has gone up since the summer. Two things have happened since then that might account for his improved support among independents. The economy has improved and Obama has concluded that being bipartisan wasn't getting him anywhere. He has moved to a more partisan posture. Neither explanation supports your reasoning. If Independents are moved by an improved economy and not what mode Obama is in, then the economy is the critical factor. If they like the fact, as the base does, that Obama is offering solutions that he supports irrespective of what the Republicans are willing to support then they don't care for the "lets all get along mode" if Obama doesn't have a partner in bipartisan solutions. He has more than sufficiently demonstrated he is the reasonable person. He doesn't need to prove that anymore. You cannot be seriously arguing that Obama looked better when he was engaged in fruitless negotiations with Republicans than he looks now.
What an offensive, four-star loon. The problem with these dangerous clowns is that they've been in their circus tents for so long doing their acts for each other, they forget the rest of us don't consider their willful ignorance to be at all funny.
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.
I remember my Grandmother making the same argument when Kennedy was running for President.
Santorum should dismiss this guy immediately that was uncalled for.
He can't dismiss him - he's paying for his Super PAC!
I know that but it was so offensive $$$ should not matter
He can't dismiss him, he's the Boss. LOL
Translation: Friess: When I was a young man and not the billionaire I am now, I never got laid...
buwahahahaha!!!
A standard quote from each Foster Friess confession:
"Ahh, forgive me father for I have sinned; I, ahh, touched myself in an impure manner..."
Three Hail Marys and you're back on the street with Father Rivera!
(acknowledgement to the genius of George Carlin)
(acknowledgement to the genius of George Carlin)
smiling thats what made him one if not the best comedian. IMHO.
RIP George.
There is a complete investigative series on Foster Friess here:
"They're going after the Wisconsin Teachers"
http://wp.me/p5dEo-2YA
Crickets....
Andrea is always too nice to these creeps.
Yeah! See? If you gals would just LISTEN to we guys, it's all better around here! Every male knows that. Shoot, no problem. sigh. What's the icon for male gender embarrassment? Never mind, I don't even want to know. Seriously. Please.
I think the ladies have a good idea. It involves aspirin tablets too, but the idea is to crush a few between testes.
Except these old farts don't have any!
Old and in the WAY!!!
I think Frosty Freeze is a little off the rocker!
One of the most ignorant things I have heard yet. Who vets these 'spokespersons' or 'supporters' that are on news shows? I have an idea -- why don't we figure out just as crude a way for male contraception. Chauvinist jerk......
Just have the women keep their knees closed... great solution. Just saying "No" always works.
I'm not offended by his "old world" views, but I am offended that these politicians and political pundits claim to know better and how we should run our lives when it comes to social matters. I'm a bit of a traditionalist in my own right, but I always give people the opportunity to chose how to run their own life.
It's not official, but it's estimated we are already over the 7 Billion mark for world population. Contraceptives help humanity last longer in this world and prevents abortions. I would say those are two good things not to mention all the other benefits that came from the contraception industry.
I think it can be argued that it is morally wrong to have an unplanned child. More wrong that being responsible and using contraception. The sex act by itself has no moral implications, but the motivations behind it does. Some cultures advocate that sex is only for procreation, but we're not that culture, nor will we ever be that culture (I hope). So, contraception is a modern convenience (like having a refrigerator) to help make our lives better.
And if Freakanomics is to be believed there is a correlation between contraception and low crime rates, and who likes crime anyways?!
If ever there was an argument to end PACs this is it. This is the wacko billionaire that is funding Saint-toum. Ya think Rick (no sex except to make babies, Pope is always right, women as second class baby makers) will not owe this guy big time and push a twisted, billionaire friendly agenda?
Why always the women??? Men could tightly wrap a rubber band around their junk, then take the asprin.
ROFL!!!! :D Good one...
No, just crush the tablets between the nuts.
I can't believe my frickin' ears. Is there anyone else in this world that agrees with this man?
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America men are confused today when having come home with major headaches from all the traffic, and work they alone have to deal with and no martini waiting at the door they can't seem to find asprine at home running to the store the shelves are EMPTY. DUDUDU
R u kidding me. Really REALLY.