first chrlis welker. >> reporter: according to a source briefed on the matter, they will announce an accommodation to the contraception rule. we are expecting religious affiliated institutions will not have to pay for contraception for women, but the costs will be transferred on to the insurance companies. just to be clear, we are expecting for insurance companies to pay directly for contraception coverage. religious leaders who say it goes against their beliefs to provide coverage. i have spoken to advocates of the rule. they like this. it preserves the mandate of still covering all women, still giving women contraception coverage. they don't expect bishops to be thrilled by this. advocates say the devil is in the details. they are going to be watching quite closely this announcement

that will be coming out of the white house a little bit later on today. we haven't gotten an exact timing as to when this will occur. it's still being worked out. again, this is an accommodation in an attempt to stop the concern that is have been expressed over the past days specifically in the catholic community about the contraception rule. chris? >> thank you for the reporting. i want to bring in robert and karen. we heard about this secret meeting that happened before all this broke between bill daley, biden and the president and the archbishop timothy dolan. they warned the president there would be a backlash. was this inevitable here? >> well, i'm of two minds on this. i think we probably were headed for this point simply because it feels like the politics of this going out the door weren't quite handled right. i think the president was very

clear on what his intention was. given the position the catholic church has taken, there was never going to be an answer they were completely happy with. could this have been handled better in terms of how this was rolled out from the beginning? i think that may be why the pressure mounted despite the fact that many catholics like myself have said hey, this is the church is really out of step with where main line catholics are. the doctors who have come on board, the fact that 28 states already do this. there's evidence to suggest that the president's proposal here is not out of step at all with what's happening. again -- >> obviously, as you know, the debate has been, is this really that issue, which is an issue about contraceptive rights which catholics clearly as well as most americans support. you know, and insurance

obviously to cover contraception or whether it is, as many democrats and catholics and people of other religions argued, is this about the first amendment? i want to play a clip of vice president joe biden in an interview yesterday. >> i'm determine d to see that this gets worked out. i believe we can work it out. as a practicing catholic, i am of the view that this can be worked out and should be worked out. i think the president -- i know the president feels the same way. >> robert, i think rightly the devil will be in the details. the initial reporting she has on it, the money will have to come directly from the catholic church or institutions is this a compromise? >> depends on who you ask. i'm a practicing catholic as

well. regardless of who pays for this, the employees who work for a catholic institution should not be subject to this. this is conscious for us. it's where a lot of folks disagree with that. regardless of whether you think the catholic church is in step with the people or not, it's what the catholic church believes. we have always had a provision saying religious organizations have a right to practice what they preach. >> it's not true. 98% of catholic women have used contraception. the majority of the american people including majority of american catholic believe women should have access to contraception at no cost with no co-pay. it's where the bishops are out of step with the reality of what's happening. personally, as a catholic, i wish they were in step with that. the president is trying to preserve -- can i just say this? i think the president is trying

to preserve freedom and the freedom of women to ak ses health care. >> you are going to stay with us through rick santorum's speech. it will be interesting to hear what he has to say about it. it is a big day for rick santorum. crucial one for mitt romney. they are both going to speak before this important conservative crowded cpac. the pressure has been showing on romney, who not so long ago had newt gingrich in his sights and switched his target to santorum. >> some of the things in his record are troubling. the fact he voted five times to raise the debt ceiling without compensating reductions in federal spending. that's a problem. the fact that while he was in washington government spending went up 80%. he's a fan of earmarks. >> the c-pac audience doesn't love him. this is rick santorum's real

house. he needs to wow. he's rising because he had to go nuclear against gingrich. something santorum said this morning he won't do. >> i'm going to talk about the issues. i'm going to talk about my record and my vision for the country. i'm going to talk about governor romney's record and barack obama's record and his vision for the country. >> i'm going to bring back robert and michael joining the conversation. yesterday, it's reported mitt romney met with a select group of leaders getting a head start on making his case. michael, is there anything mitt romney can say that you think will help him win points with the conservative crowd? >> in 2008, he did a good speech with cpac. he has a problem here. a significant portion of the primary, the republican primary audience that's not reconciled to his inevidentibility. it was proved in the last round.

he benefited from opposing newt gingrich. he seemed intent on confirming every disturbing stereo type. santorum is not gingrich. he's more skilled. he has a blue collar profile that could play well in places like michigan. >> well, michigan is interesting. i want to ask robert about that. i have a little bit of breaking news. we were wondering when we would hear from the white house and whether we would hear from the president himself. we will. 12:15. a little more than two hours from now, he's going to the briefing room of the white house. we'll get details about how they are trying to work out this compromise, if you want to call it that, accommodation over the controversy over contraception. again, 12:15. of course we'll have that for you live. let's talk maybe a little bit about michigan, robert, since michael brought it up. here is a state that, at least on the surface should be romney's. >> absolutely.

>> his father was governor there. you have in rick santorum a blue collar guy, you know, he seems to talk more effectively about those roots than mitt romney is able to talk about his dad. it seems to me if mitt romney loses michigan, if santorum can make a play in michigan, is that stretching things a little bit? >> it's stretching but not inconceivable. pennsylvania is like michigan. it's a huge manufacturing state. rick santorum lost his senate seat by 18 points but won in 1994 and 2000 by large margins. the reason he connects with blue collar individuals is because he was a blue collar individual and lived paycheck-to-paycheck for many years. romney has tens of millions of dollars in his campaign coffers, he cannot connect with the average american out there.

>> let me read what david burkes writes. if he weren't running for president, he would be saying the same things he is today. few believe that about romney. he may win the republican nomination, but it won't be worth much. is the real problem here not that romney is conservative enough but people just don't like him? >> well, i think if you look at the polling, it's not that bad for romney. romney doesn't generate a lot of antipathy among republicans or americans. not a lot of enthusiasm. >> negatives are going up if you look at "the washington post" poll. >> that's true somewhat. if you look at the primary results, he's a second choice for a lot of people. people don't dislike him in the republican primary. >> do you think today the audience will be open to hearing him? it's not just what he says to them and how they react but how it's reported in the national

media. if it's a lukewarm response you know what the headlines are going to be tomorrow. >> i hope they spent, from their perspective, a lot of time on this speech. you can do a lot with a good speech, generating excitement. he has a tough anti-obama message. it's not an intuitive appeal but he can succeed. >> chris, here's the problem. they want to win the movement. sometimes it's not winning the election. the problem is romney is not one of them. he's never been one of

there are a limited number of them, but they are committed. i don't think the straw polls predict anything about the republican nomination process. >> a lot of this has been about how, you know, flee of what you can be. a criticism of romney is he has a great game plan and isn't able to adjust along the way. this is a small adjustment, but would you expect santorum to work the president's decision into this speech? >> absolutely. this is the perfect opportunity for romney, quite frankly to speak to the movement. i assume he would say i disagree with the president's decision, this is an infringement. >> more of an opportunity for romney? >> if i was romney's adviser, i

would say you must address this and be passionate about it. >> good to see you both. what happens when the front-runners campaign goes off the track? lots of advice coming in. should he take it? we have two of the best campaign advisers in the business to tels us what goes on when a campaign is on the down slide. and i took nyquil, but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] sorry buddy. truth is, nyquil doesn't un-stuff your nose. what? it doesn't have a decongestant. really? [ male announcer ] you need a more complete cold and flu formula, like alka-seltzer plus liquid gels. it's specially formulated to fight your worst cold and flu symptoms, plus relieve your stuffy nose. [ deep breath ] thank you! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth! [ male announcer ] and to fight your allergy symptoms fast, try new alka-seltzer plus allergy. until the end of the quarter to think about your money... ♪ that right now, you want to know where you are, and where you'd like to be. we know you'd like to see the same information your advisor does so you can get a deeper understanding

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well, we have breaking news. 12:15 is when we are going to hear from the president about the uproar, a huge political uproar. there's apparently accommodation being made over birth control. we are going have that live for you coming up at 12:15. in the meantime, we are waiting for rick santorum to speak in about ten minutes at cpac. the romney campaign is nervous

he's not in a stronger position. here is how "the washington post" reports çit. quote, one prominent adviser told him to sharpen his use of code words and create small pictures, vivid imagery to connect with voters. another to say romney's message is too business like and broad. so, can the romney campaign reset the gps? let's go inside with rob johnson. we are joined by doug, former senior adviser to al gore and hillary clinton's presidential campaigns and garrett who is following mitt romney. four weeks now mitt romney has been stressing his business record. in the past couple weeks he's trying new lines on his stump speech. let me play a few for you. >> in my church, we don't have a professional ministry.

people are asked to serve as the minister or pastor of their congregation from time-to-time. i had that privilege for ten years. the america he believed in, a plaster guy could become head of a car company. >> what is the conversation like? take us into the war room. who goes to the candidate and says here is what you need to do, remember the line you used four years ago about how your dad used to work in construction, you need to bring that back. >> his campaign manager, communications director. the important part, chris, is, message does matter. the candidate has to believe in the message. you can't fakqç it. republican voters showed they want a true conservative and someone that believes their rhetoric. the passion in the message matters the most. it's where romney needs to step it up. >> i was on the campaign trail with al gore.

i don't need to tell you the hit on him was he didn't have the passion. he kept hearing from people, oh, if you knew the real al gore, he's a funny, charming guy. a lot of the same stuff we hear from romney. can you change who a person is? can you try to push them to be different in their public persona? >> i think it's hard. it's very hard given the amount of exposure presidential candidates get. people feel they get a window of these people and they do. the problem with the romney campaign is mitt romney. the fact is, people don't trust him. i agree with these statements about passion and the candidate actually believing what they say. i think it's at the core of the problem here. we saw the triple dip losses in the caucuses that the right wing doesn't trust him. he's going to say what he thinks will win their hearts tonight. at the core, i don't think they are going to believe he believes what he's saying.

the mainstream voters don't trust him either. >> how worried is the campaign at this point? is this a death con situation or to their minds making minimal adjustments? i have already heard them in their language sort of adjusting what they are saying about michigan. they are trying to down play expectations there. >> yeah, chris, it's beenç subtle. this is not a campaign that admits to making mistakes and not one that would show if they are pursuing the death con strategy. you are seeing the subtle tweaks in message and how they are getting the message out. romney is talking more about his biography. in the next couple stops, returning to what works. you took questions today at a speech in virginia for the first time since south carolina. tonight in maine, he's going to hold a town hall for the first time in weeks. they need to get him back out there in a way that worked in the past going back to basics to

make the connection. >> thank you very much. so much of this is, too, just about how people perceive you. they are not following the details as closely as all of us do. when you look at rick santorum, this is what "the washington post" article was speaking to, he looks comfortable, he looks at ease. when he's going around, he doesn't seem like anything is flustering him or ruffling him. there is a contrast, don't you think, that's a problem for mitt romn romney? >> yes, chris. but this notion of inevidentibility. it's a made up, washington, d.c., word. elections are about choices and fortunately the people of america get to make the choices. none of these guys are inevitable. >> did that perception hurt romney? did it put too much pressure on? >> the only people that thought he was inevitable were himç

campaign and people sitting in swivel chairs drinking lattes. we need to give credit to rick santorum and newt gingrich. they have proven they are electable. this is going to be a long slide. this is not a sprint, it's a marathon. you know, the people on television and the pundits need to change their diaper and relax. this is going to go for a long time. >> a long time. >> let me ask you about rick santorum since suddenly he's the challenger here and he won the three contests this week. he's a real conservative. there are more than a few of his fews that raised eyebrows. he talks about women in combat saying emotions involved could compromise the mission. he tried to clarify that today on the "today" show. >> when you have men and woman together in combat, men have

emotions when you see a woman in harm's way, something that is natural that's in our culture to be protective. that's -- that was my concern. i think it's a concern with all military. >> rob, is there someone in his campaign arguing look, you are the real deal. you are the contender. you need to think about the issues you bring up and if they are going to help you in the general? >> i think part of the appeal of rick santorum is he speaks from his heart. he's a real person. he doesn't compromise values and views. to make him a manufactured candidate would be aç mistake. >> doug, what are you expecting today from rick santorum? >> i think he'll get a great reception. people believe he is authentic about what he says when he says things like this. i take him at his word. i think the authenticity is important. it's important for true believers who believe this. it's not the mainstream of

voters. i don't think he's viable at all in the general election. what we are going to hear from romney is the cardinal rule when your campaign goes off track you go on the attack. we have seen that more from him. tonight, he'll stay off the attack and do what it takes to win with the conservative voters. that's the problem, when people don't trust you, they say what you need to hear to win. it makes you lose. they don't believe you and you are pandering. i don't think he's going to win over a lot of people. >> thanks to all of you. again, rick santorum is about to address the conservative. can he make a speech so compelling that romney doesn't stand a chance when it's his turn later today. who is the "your business" entrepreneur of the week? a bigly wiggly building came up,

she decided to buy it. instead of one restaurant, she opened three. chicken and honey, chops burgs and a liquor bar. they share the same kitchen. for more, watch "your business" on msnbc. [ woman speaking indistinctly over radio ] home protector plus from liberty mutual insurance... [ alarm blaring ] where the cost to repair your home, replace what's inside, and stay somewhere else if you need to are covered. because you never know what lies around the corner. to learn more, visit libertymutual.com today.

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in an hour, president obama will sign the final bill sponsored by former congresswoman gabby giffords. her last bill will help law enforcement fight drug smugglers. her husband will be on hand for the signing. clint eastwood's super bowl commercial is an analogy rick perry is using to bash the president. >> if it's halftime in america, i'm fearful of what the final score is going to be if we start the second half as a quarterback. >>ç meantime, a mississippi ste representative wants to rename the gulf of mexico. he's introduced a bill to call it the gulf of america. the bill was referred to committee earlier this week. nancy pelosi started a war with steven colbert. check it out.

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well, this is live at cpac. if you don't know this guy, maybe you have heard of him. his name is foster friess.

he's a millionaire and kept rick santorum going. he's doing the introduction for santorum at cpac. let me bring in jim. what do you think we are going to hear? >> ideas on his conservative ideas and his conservative root. this is his moment. people are talking more about him and are interested in him. if he can light the crowd on fire and show he's a conservative with aç message, viable alternative to romney, it could have an effect. he's raising more money. he's been given more through the super pac. that's the key. can he do good in michigan? it looks good to me because the

demographics are similar to pennsylvania, his home state. >> do you think this is the situation where this is one of those sort of critical moments where they are going to say okay, if he gives a great speech, he's our guy? you know, let's see what we can do to margin liz gingrich more? essentially take that core conservative vote and critically its money and throw it behind one person. >> life is about seizing the moment. it's about being prepared when you have the rare opportunity to get a great job or meet the right person or give the speech of your lifetime. this is, really, for him, this is the day. if you think about it, a great backdrop of issues. social fights happening in washington and around the country. it's great for him as a social conservative. a lot of unease with romney with the establishment and base and unease with gingrich. they are looking for someone to excite them. if he can step up there today, not just today, but the days

forward and electrify the crowds, he's going to get a serious second look in a wide open race that's going to be a long race. he's won more states than any candidate in this raceç speaks volumes given that he does it with virtually no cash and very little organization. >> we should mention, i'm sure you noticed this, jim, the closing choice of mr. freese, which is the rick santorum vest. i don't know if it's one that was sold on his website but here you see with members of his family, rick santorum. there's his oldest daughter who has traveled with him quite a bit. again, a crowd that knows rick santorum. many have supported him since his days in the u.s. senate, fought very hard for him. still, to this day, in spite of the huge loss he suffered have suggested that, in fact, he lost because he was targeted by democrats because of his strong

conservative views. now, as jim said, getting a serious second look by a lot of people after the three wins this week, has had a cool and at ease demeanor. obviously, in front of a crowd that is behind him at least in terms of the kinds of issues he spoke so forcefully about. let's listen to rick santorum. >> it's great to be here at cpac. i will not be telling any jokes. foster cornered the market on that. thanks for that wonderful reception for not just me but for most of my family that is here. first, the folks that are walking with me today and walking this journey with me are here with me because this is who i am. they are here with me, i want to introduce most of you probably zave seen p them before but this is my wife karen, the rock of which i stand upon. [ applause ]

sarah maria, patrick, daniel, elizabeth, peter and john. [ applause ] of course the one that is not here with us but is home and recooperating just well and doing amazingly well thanks to your prayers, our little girl bella. [ applause ] i came here back in right after the 2008 election. i have been coming to a lot of cpac conventions. after that election, i made this statement. i said conservatism did not fail our country. conservatives failed conservaticonserv conservati conservatism. that's what i believed then. and that we, in fact, lost heart. as conservatives, we lost heart. we listened to the voices who

said we had to abandon our principles and our values to get things done, to win. but we hear those same voices today that we have to learn our lesson, that we should -- that we need to compromise, do what's politically reasonable and go out and push someone forward who can win. well, i think we have learned our lesson. the lesson we haveç learned is that we will no longer abandon and apologize for the policies and principles that made this country great for a hollow victory in november. [ applause ] the other thing we should recognize, as conservatives and tea party folks, that we are not just wings of the republican

party, we are the republican party. [ applause ] folks, i have been here before. we know each other. we have worked together in the vineyards. we have taken on the tough battles that confront this country. i know you, and you know me. that's important. because we have worked together some say experience is a bad thing in this election. i don't think so. i think knowing the people who are the conservative leaders, knowing the people who have worked in the vineyards for decades, knowing the people who bring the ideas and the breath and wellspring and ideas of conservatism is important. as richard often says, policies are personnel. personnel is what makes it. knowing the people to bring and surround yourself with. those voices that we have

listened to in the past were all people we brought in who told us, well, no we can't stand by those principles. ladies and gentlemen as president of the united states, we willç surround ourselves wi people who share our values, who are committed to the principle who is made this country great. leaders of the conservative movement. [ applause ] we know there's a lot of excitement here because this election is about very, very big things. this is not just about jobs, it is about jobs. we need to do something about jobs in this country. we put forward an economic plan that the wall street journal calls supply side economics for the working man. why? because we care to make sure that every american has the opportunity to rise, that the ladder goes down, not just to those who might be voting for us but yes, the very poor.

the people in this country who have been suffering and left behind. we want to create an opportunity for all of them, blue collar americans. we put together a plan that reinvigorates and creates opportunities for the american people to be able to rise in america. it's important. it's important to attack the huge, monstrous debt we have in our country. a debt crushing america and our children, an immoral debt. [ applause ] i put forward another plan that says we are going to cut $5 trillion in five years, balance the the budget in five years. in every year, we will spend less money than the year before, year after year after year until the budget isç balanced. no more cuts in the rate of growth. [ applause ] we know it's about big things

though. really big things. more than just, well, the economy. it's about foundational principles. we have seen that played out in the past few weeks. every speech i have given from the 381 town hall meetings i did in iowa, i talk about -- i talked about founding princip s principles. this campaign is going to be about a vision. this campaign is going to be about who we are as americans. in essence, that's what's at stake. this is the most important election in your lifetime. it's an election about what kind of country you are going to leave to the next generation. are we going to be a country that believes as our founders did? that our rights don't come from the government, they come from a much higher authority. [ applause ] well, there are those in our

country and those in the oval office that believe that is not the case. they believe rights come from the government and they have gone around convincing the american public they can give you rights. the most important one that they have been able to shove down the throats of the american public was the right to health care. the right to health care in obama care. we see what happens when government gives you rights. when government gives you rights,ç government can take ay those rights. when government gives you rights, government can coerce you into doing things and exercising the right they gave you. i have been traveling around this country talking about how obama care will crush economic freedom, make people dependent upon government for the most important things, their very lives. as a result, government will own you because you will have to pay

tribute to washington in order to get the care you need for your children. one of the reasons i am in this race, in fact the major reason i'm in this race is i think obama care is a game changer for america. [ applause ] margaret thatcher said she was never able to accomplish what reagan accomplished. she said the reason, the british national health care system. once people have that dependency, they are never ever, really free again. ladies and gentlemen, we have seen this play out on the stage the past few weeks. we have seen the president of the united states tell you what insurance coverages you will have, how much you will pay and how much you will be fined if you don't, he's telling the catholic church they are forced to pay for things that are against their basic teachers,

against their first amendment right. now interestingly enough, here is what they are forcing them to do. in an insuranceç policy, they have to pay for something that costs just a few dollars. is that what insurance is for? the foundational idea that we have the government telling you you have to pay for everything as a business. thing that is are not really things that you need insurance for. and still forcing on something that is not a critical economic need when you have an economic distress which you need insurance but forcing it even more to do it for minor expenses. ladies and gentlemen, this is the kind of coercion we can expect. it's not about contraception. it's about economic liberty. it's about freedom of speech.

it's about freedom of religion, government control of your lives and it's got to stop. [ cheers and applause ] >> and this isn't the only place president obama has tried to control your lives. of course, one of the favorite things of the left is to use your sentimentality, your proper understanding and belief that we are stewards of this earth and we have responsibility to hand off a beautiful earth to the next generation. they use that and they aóe used it in the past to try to scare you into supporting radical ideas on the environment. they tried it with this idea of

this science called man-made global warming. president obama, you may remember, tried to pass cap and trade and tried to get control not only of the health care system, but of the energy industry. the manufacturing industry. another two big sectors of this economy and using this facade of man-made global warming. i stood up and fought against those things. why? because they will destroy the very foundation of prosperity in our country. you look at any country in the world and you look at their energy consumption and the cost of energy and their quality of life, their standard of living. the more energy con sumpx, the higher standard of living. we need affordable energy.

this administration has gone out and not only attacked us with cap and trade and global warming but now that it's in the dust bin of history, they are going after hydrofracking. i come from pennsylvania. we are doing a little bit of that in pennsylvania, thank god. [ applause ] and guess what? of course now that we are doing hydrofrackingç the boogey man comes out. look what it's going to do to you? 700,000 or 800,000 have been done in the united states. where's been the noise? ladies and gentlemen, they scare you to intimidate you to trust them and to give them more power. we need someone who is willing to go out on these big issues of the day and draw contrasts. we are not going to win this

election ladies and gentlemen because the republican candidate has the most money to beat up their opponent and win the election. [ applause ] we are not going to win this election with over a lopsided money advantages. we won't have one in the fall. president obama will have more money, whoever our nominee is. think about what it's going to take. it's going to take ideas, vision, contrast, a record of accomplishment that goes up against the failed policies of barack obama. that's the winner. [ applause ] well, let's take a look at that in the republican field. who has the boldest contrast? who has the record that they can run on? who has the bold plans to turn this economy around?

and to support the very institutions of our country that provide the foundation of our country, faith and family?ç who has that strong track record and that contrast? >> you! you! >> okay. [ applause ] i guess i can quit now that you are convinced of that. but let's look at it. on the issue of obama care, who has a record of supporting health savings accounts and torque reform and bottom up consumer driven health care for 20 years? and who supported the stepchild of obama care? the person in massachusetts who built the largest government run health care system in the united

states. someone who would simply give that issue away in the fall, give the issue away of government control of your health. who would be the better person to go after the obama administration on trying to control the energy and the manufacturing sector of our economy and trying to dictate to you what lights to turn on and what cars to drive? manmade global warming and imposed the first carbon cap in the state of massachusetts? the first state to do so in the country? >> no. >> would it be someone to take on the other big issue of government control of our economy, which is the government control of the financial services sector? we see a lot of -- everybody up on stageç complaining about d dodd-frank. two of the three candidates supported the wall street

bailout, the predecessor. who provides the clear contrast of believing in the conservative vision of bottom up, free people, free markets not government dependency, government control. ladies and gentlemen, we are not going to win with money. we are going to win with contrast. we are going to win with ideas. we are going to win by making barack obama and his failed policies the issue in this race. [ applause ] >> we won in 2010 because conservatives rallied. they were excited about the contrast. they were excited about the candidates who were put forth in

that election. that's why we won. we always talked about how we are going to get the moderates. why would an undecided voter vote for a candidate who the party is not excited about? [ applause ] we need conservatives now to rally for a conservative, to go into november to excite the conservative base, to pull with that excitement moderate voters and defeat barack obama in the fall. [ applause ]ç i just say this in close, when i restarted our speech, i referred to where our rights came from, it's in our declaration of independence. i know a lot of folks like to focus on the constitution. the constitution is the

operators manual for america. it is the how of america. it is essential that we return our government to the constraints of that constitution. but, the why of america, who we are is in the declaration and these words we hold these trues to be evident that all men are equal with certain rights. that's who we are. a country that was built on the idea that rights come to us from god and the government's job, the one thing the government is to do is protect those rights for you to form families, churches, community organizations, civic groups, hospitals, schools and building a great and just society from the bottom up. that's the conservative vision for america. that's who we are. at the end of that declaration, there was a phrase. these signers signed this

declaration with this pledge, they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. no one is asking you today to go out and pledge your life. all though, thank god men andç women step forward every day and put the uniform on of the military and do so. [ applause ] and i -- and i am not asking for your fortune. all though if you go to ricksantorum.com a piece of that fortune would be very helpful. but i am asking for your honor to put your honor on the line. honor is a term that is not used very often in america anymore. it's exactly what is at stake.

because this is our watch. we are stewards of a great inheritance and it is our responsibility to shepherd that inheritance and to make it a greater and richer one for the next generation. if we fail to do that, then we have failed our duty and our honor as americans. this is your opportunity. many generations come and go and americans live in many respects in consequential times. you are blessed to live in a time when america needs you. [ applause ] please, walk out of this gathering, choose the candidate that you beleóe is the right person to lead this country, not just to victory, but to the

changes that are necessary for that victory to be won, that you can say i have done my duty, i have kept my honor. thank you and god bless. [ applause ] >> that is rick santorum before cpac in a speech. there's a tell prompter up that seemed to be off the cuff there. he's not a guy that likes to be tightly scripted. much of america is getting to know rick santorum. foster friess has known him for years. he's his chief backer in the superpac. there is an argument that friess' donations kept santorum in the running. joining me now is foster friess. thank you for being with us. >> it's an honor to be here. i hope i can hear you. there's so much applause beyond me, i hope i can hear your questions. >> i hope so, too. l four years ago, you backed

romney. you gave $331,000. why the switch? >> well, it's so obvious that rick matured into a message america is resinating. he believes we are in this together. it's not just jobs but the spiritual dimension of jobs. we enjoy the rewards of contributing to society. it's beyond the money we make. it's important to get everybody back to work for those reasons. >>ç it's interesting -- it's interesting he didn't talk a lot about that. i think the general election problem for rick santorum is that those very same conservative view that is played well for the cpac crowd, he's against contraception and abortion in cases of rape and incest. same-sex marriage is affiliated

with bestiality. they are the views of the general election aren't they? >> the american people aren't so preoccupied with sex they get into that. americans are concerned with the other aspects of rick santorum. when the debates come up, he gets one question before he becomes a serious candidate. every question was social issues. no one asked about understanding chavez and ahmadinejad and how he fashioned the iran freedom security act, how he led the syria accountability act. nobody asked how strong he is, a threat we face with jihadists and how he fought that issue and how he brought the welfare reform act. as a young senator, 42 years old, he managed that on the floor of the senate. here he was when he was -- i guess they are telling me to be

quiet. >> i understand. let me ask one final question. for all those reasons you support him, there was a big debate that you know about. wealthy people likeç you being able to give to a candidate to prolong their run. it brings up questions about buying the election and buying the influence. you must understand that? >> that is silly when you look at george source put in $20 million to influence the elections on george bush f. you look at meg whitman, how much did her money do for him? i think if there's influence in the campaign, this gives us who have been the underdogs to be on an even playing field. also, if