i'm just trying to catch my breath from that. >> exactly who is foster friess?uty political director, mark murray. >> there are some things you can hear over and over and can't believe what you're hearing. i know he says he was joking there. i think it was david gregory said maybe he's not old enough to remember that joke. i've never heard that joke, but that aside, who is foster friess? where did he get his cash? why does he like rick santorum so much? >> he's a wealthy investor and lives in wyoming. he's been the chief benefactor to a pro-santorum super pac. he had given more than $330,000 to this super pac and probably some more since then. this pro-santorum super pac is running a pretty heavy buy promoting rick santorum in a very positive way. you look and perhaps there's no one who has been a bigger benefactor to rick santorum's financial success as this goes on in the republican primary than foster friess. >> he supported governor scott walker in his battle that he's having in the state of wisconsin. as i understand it, he's also donated a lot of money to

something, because we do not really talk to foster friess all that much we do not have conversations with him about anything. foster is being foster and his comments were not good and that is my personal opinion. but that is ridiculous. >> congratulations on the campaign, but the reality is that hogan is on tv talking about foster friess's statements and it's a off message and a problem for the campaign. the reality is this, rick santorum is now the national front-runner in the race. and things go viral fast and it's hard contain, i'm sure that hogan would rather be talking about the senator's economic speech yesterday. that shows you the viral nature of this. >> it's not just foster. it is not just santorum or foster friess, we have been talking about conception for three weeks now. 8% of news coverage has been on conception and and 10% on the economy. that should not be on the same level. there are significant issues out there. but the point is that -- >> you are missing -- >> -- go ahead sorry. >> you are completely missing the point. this is not a story about conception, it's abo

said this afternoon. >> foster friess. >> foster friess. >> foster friess. >> nbc's david gregory we have a fire storm here but there's a larger question, how santorum handled it and how foster friess handled it and what he said in the first place, david? >> i was there with you when he said it to you yesterday, sort of catching my breath. you know, i actually did not hear that formulation before. i guess i'm not old enough. it was a stupid thing to say, he has acknowledged that. i am not one that believes that santorum faces a huge amount of fall out over this. has tried to create distance and condemned it. there's a broader issue here that is challenging enough for republicans, or a good opportunity depending how it plays out and that is the politics of conception and this is a social issue that energizes the base >> in fact santorum addressed it. he was not apologizing this morning. are let's watch. >> obviously. i do not agree with the basic premise, it was a joke, it was a stupid joke, it was bad taste. >> it does not in my opinion reflect on the campaign or me. i'm not responsi

is foster friess a big problem for santorum? >> this is -- there is no apology that makes this okay. there's nothing that foster friess can say to put this back in the bottle. and when he says i can't apologize for every backer, this is his biggest backer, the man financing his entire campaign. you can't get rid of that, but it raises for republicans, not just democrats, republicans, the question can rick santorum get elected in general election? comments like this, comments like what rick santorum has already said about contraception that is dangerous and bad for women, no republican gets elected in a general with comments like that out there. >> the romney camp probably looking to capitalize off of this of what's taking place in santorum's campaign. but we constantly do talk about mitt romney's inability to connect with the voters. his stiffness in his appearances. take a look at this example from the trail yesterday. >> it seems right here, trees are the right height. i like seeing the lakes, i love the lakes. just something

foster friess, alex? >> well, i was confused when i first heard the advice about the bayer between the knees. i thought that was more about keeping your legs closed and that's how you stay out of trouble. but apparently there's some sort of -- i don't know what. you know, foster friess seems like not a bad guy. i think he has a lot of -- he has a lot of love for rick santorum. but, look, if you talk about some of the positions that rick santorum has taken on these social issues, whether it's gay marriage, whether it's some of the statements as you rightfully pointed out about supporting states that would outlaw contraception, he is so far to the right on this stuff, i don't know how you win over not only american women, but the american public. >> chris, what is the friess effect in the santorum campaign today? >> um, negative. i think the -- >> cold. >> yes. it's cold. i think the clip from andrea's show is going to be everywhere. i think the problem is that it's stacked atop an entire week's worth of th

foster friess made that now infamous bayer aspirin comment. just a few minutes ago, alex stewart says it was a slip of the tongue. she misspoke but she was trying to defend santorum's comments on radical energy policy but somehow said radical islamic. let me play what she said. >> as he said, he's clarified the statement. he was talking about radical environmentists. there was a type of se cue larism when it comes to the global warmist. it was referring to the president's policies in turm of the radical islamic policies has. >> you had foster friess say it was a joke. domineco said with limited infrastructure, if rick santorum is gone off message and his surrogates get him in deeper mess here, what are we to make here? >> i expect we're going to here more from alex stewart apologizing about those remarks. there will be controversy theoryist thinking it was a message she was trying to get out or on the mind of the santorum campaign when talking about president obama. i think there's a base in the republican party that this isn't going to bother

instead these comments from his megadonor, the bankroller of his campaign, foster friess that he said to andrea mitchell have gone viral. >> the contraceptive thing, my gosh, you know, it's so expensive. back in my days they used bayer aspirin for contraception. the gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly. >> excuse me, i'm trying to catch my breath from that, mr. friess. >> last night on the trail santorum was forced to respond -- >> i'm not responsible for everything that somebody says in my campaign. >> senator? [ inaudible ] the basic premise, it was a joke. it was a stupid joke. it was bad taste. and, you know, i don't know what your preoccupation with that is. >> mark murray is nbc's deputy political director, and mark, santorum had a lot of momentum here in these polls but seems to be bogged down by the comment by foster friess made on andrea's show. >> the conventional wills dom might be that rick santorum is on the defensive here. i would put it in a different way. this is actually really good news for rick santorum, the more the fight is about cultural issu

foster friess is the top donor supporting the guy, santorum is getting grilled because his big money guy said this. >> in the contraception thing my gosh it's such inexpensive back in my days, they used bayer aspirin, put it between their knees, it wasn't that costly. >> here is another thing santorum can't hide from. his own comments. >> one of the things i will talk about that no president has talked about before is i think the dangers of contra accept hundred in this country. the whole sexual libertine idea, many in the christian faith have said it's okay, it's not okay. it's a license to do things in the sexual, in the sexual realm that is counter to what -- how things are supposed to be. >> the candidate leading national polls for the republican nomination is openly opposed contraception. this is not a good sign for the republican party. it's just as bad as the all male panel called to testify about contraception by republicans in congress yesterday. democratic senator patty murray can't believe this is happening in 2012. >> for millions of american women, reading the news this

amy returns to weekend update to take on foster friess. >> well we would love to accept your apology foster, but you made a mistake and now you'll have to life with it for the rest of your life. >> in our daily fix, santorum leads the national polls and he is ahead in michigan. can he withstand the criticism that comes with success. chris is managing editor of post politics.com. chris, we have heard a lot in the last couple of days from rick santorum and some argue it's great politics that he is firing up the base, he is going after barack obama, others say it's going to scare elders in the party that he is not electable as a general election candidate, what say you? >> i hate to hedge my bets, but i think it's a bit of both. this will help among christians that are not a huge part of the base in michigan. it's about 40%, as the process goes forward, oklahoma and tennessee, it could help in those places. but you are right, i think the kind of republican bigwigs, the gray beards who are worried, look at this and say, we have an economy that is struggling. unemployment still above's 8%,

his name is foster friess. he's a millionaire and kept rick santorum going.roduction 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 opportu

expect from a native son so maybe santorum has a chance because of that but if so he has this guy foster friess leading contributor to his red white and blue pack corporate super fund corporate super pac to thank for the center for american progress as think progress blog uncovered some interesting details on who exactly friess is for one he's in his. a lot of folks making significant donations to natori islamophobia organizations he's given millions over the last few years to several republican politicians like scott walker rick perry and newt gingrich he gave three million bucks to kickstart a consumer conservative news site and back in two thousand and two friess blamed the columbine shooting on liberals this is the guy who's actually running for president through his surrogate rick santorum but friess is just one billionaire and there are many others like him who want to have influence over the republican race and if they have their way and free says guy santorum may not win and neither might mitt romney in fact no one in the race they may win if the millionaires and billionaires get their

>> rick santorum and his campaign, a little bit embarrassed by foster friess' comments.eard him, he has been extremely clear to say he separates his personal views from policy views. you look at his record throughout the 1990s, he doesn't necessarily vote against contraceptives and i thank you is something that is overlooked quite a bit, he separates those two things. >> buzzer batter, 20 seconds each, romney is now in a dogfight in his home state of michigan. even with an endorsement from the governor, why is this such a tough battle for him, maria? >> in addition to the fact that this is not somebody that conservatives trust or conservatives like because he has flip-flopped on so many issue, the key argument for his candidacy, he is a businessman who knows how to turn around ailing industries has completely tanked because of the fact that he came out against the detroit bankruptcy plan or bailout plan that has, in fact, saved detroit and saved the key industry in michigan. >> all right. boris? >> saved the key industry, costing taxpayers billions and billions of dollar

about speaking of been years notice the guy standing behind santorum to his right yeah that's foster friess a mutual fund executive and leading contributors to santorum is red white and blue fund corporate super pac and he is like the other millionaires and billionaires who are now spending fortunes giving to romney's and gingrich's super pacs was the real winner last night called a collection on investments. meanwhile there's one front runner turned loser mitt romney set in colorado where he was expecting to give a victory speech it's great to be in denver tonight a lot of stuff on the ground pretty cold but warm to be in this room and with so many friends here and i want to say thank you to you that the race is too close to call in colorado at this point but i'm pretty confident we'll come in number one and number two and number two it was santorum came out on top in colorado to beating romney forty eight to thirty five percent that's a state that romney won back in two thousand and eight so what does all this mean well it means conservatives can still play around with the idea of nominat

well what do you think too you know when somebody like foster friess big that it's a really good joke to say national television that women should just squeeze aspirin between their needs is a form of birth control. well i mean that form of birth control has never worked in the history of the world you know abstinence. society why it has never been a way that has really successfully lowered the unintended pregnancy rate you know i think the one thing he was right about is that maybe we do need a national therapy session when it comes to sex and you know rick santorum who seems to be very very interested in the details of what goes on in all of our bedrooms maybe should be the first candidate for that kind of therapy. he definitely is a little too interested if you ask me what's going on in everyone's bedroom all right so let's talk about it let's talk about this hearing today. didn't have any women on the panel i mean at the same time we also saw the obama administration come back and make a compromise right to this entire mandate for health insurance so why do we need to have a heari

that's foster friess, a big-money backer. he gets money to the campaign, he doesn't for it.e said yesterday kind of early on to msnbc the following. >> back in my days, they used bayer aspirin for contraception. the gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly. >> foster friess apologized. he said i can see how i confused people. so case closed, paul? >> yes, force foster friess, but rick santorum probably wouldn't want women to have the aspirin. the stated position is birth control is bad for women, states should have the right to outlaw the way they used to be able to. and mitt romney is barely better. he want to ends all federal funding. title x which george bush sr. helped to write into law. >> go ahead, mary. >> complete utter fabrication. paul knows this, it was an epicenter of catholicism. he was talking about his catholic faith. he specifically said he would not ban birth control. that's a -- >> that's not true. he says griswold was wrong, states should have the law right to outlaw contraception. >> griswold was wrong and roe was wrong. but that's not th

for having me so let's get started so it's santorum won big as we just showed his big thunder foster friess was there behind him we've seen a lot of these type guys really have they been at the victory speeches behind the candidates. but santorum is red white and blue fun pales in comparison to romney's i restore a future pac i think it's the red white and blue fund has spent two million dollars so far whereas restore a future romney spend nine times that over eighteen million dollars so here's what i said the millionaires and billionaires on the republican side they've chosen their person and that's mitt romney and i would be shocked if somehow they lose this race so i mean should i be shocked if romney is not the nominee at the end because about well i think that there's a bit of a declining marginal utility for these super pacs or for any any campaign spending period the underdogs i think tend to gain more from one more political ad or one more political dollar than the front runners because name recognition is such a huge such a huge acrobat for a candidate but i wanted to to note somet

latest republican race experts are mitt romney supporter charlie black, a fellow washingtonian and foster friessto quit the race? i'm sorry, romney or -- who are you for? you're for santorum? you want gingrich to quit the race? who do you want to quit the race. the national review says for gingrich to get out because he's going to prevent your candidate from getting the shot he needs. 50/50, one on one. >> i think it would be great if newt stayed in. i love newt. i love mitt. they are wonderful people. national treasures. i think the more we get to know them, it will also hone rick's debating skills and you'll get to know rick santorum better as they challenge him and go after him and you can see the real rick santorum. i think that will be a blessing for everybody. >> so you can beat -- i assume you're saying you have enough surge going right now that you can beat romney even with gingrich in the race? >> well, you maybe saw the michigan poll where they show 39% for santorum and 24% for romney. >> i saw it. we announced it earlier. but that's before the dresden bombing. i'm going to go to charl

. >> foster friess was actually at rick santorum's side when santorum gave his victory speech. the reason santorum is here was because friess was here. no coincidence, foster friess is one of the reasons santorum is still in the race and he's hope to go win it. in mitt romney's case, maybe the most important name to know is wall street. our colleagues at cnn.com compiled this and found that no other candidate came even close to the $12 million that romney's campaign raised directly in 2011 from people who work on wall street. $12 million. even president obama raised just $5 million, and that doesn't compare to the money that was available to romney from super pacs, which was a lesson not lost on the president. just this week, obama's campaign announced this week it will cooperate with and accept the support of super pacs. he railed against them. he fought the supreme court ruling that made them possible, but he can read the numbers. and now president obama wants some of that super pac money as well. back to you. >> jonathan mann reporting there. >>> coming up next on "world bus

foster friess is a longtime santorum supporter and bankroller and donor to his super pac.d to see you. thanks for joining us. what about this disparity? are you willing to put up as much money as it takes to match mitt romney in michigan? >> andrea, mitt romney has way too much money for us to compete, and rick was outspent, i think, 40 to 1 in colorado, but still won colorado. and to a certain extent, i think it wins to rick's benefit. because people love the underdog. they love to cheer for the guy who's coming from behind, the fact that he's the grandson of a coal miner, the fact that he's been able to win in democratic places where he had a million more democratic votes registered against him, voters, that is. and so i think the rick santorum story is getting more and more mileage as people understand who he is in terms of national defense, in terms of his stand on the economy, and he's not just a one-trick pony, as people have tried to make him out to be. >> do you have any concerns about some of his comments on social issues, on cotntraceptio, about women in combat,

is that foster friess and indeed, it was you. i know you've known him for a long time and you're friendly with him, but as a donor to a super pac, there's rules that say you can't work together. you can't coordinate. and there you are standing next to him and i'm wondering if you think that was appropriate that you continue to spend so much time with him or maybe you think it's just transparent. >> well, by the way, how did i look? did i look excited and fun? >> to be honest, i think you're wearing the same tie. >> now, the answer to that is so simple. basically, our lawyers have told us it's simple. just don't talk about the super pac, so the fact there is a super pac is ir rell vent to the other campaign people and by not talking about it is fine. plus, i have so little control over the super pac, all i did was write a check. newt came up to me the other day and made some remark to me i said -- so i'm not hands on guy. i like writing a check and then turn it over to the guys who make it happen. >> so you don't say, you have giv

foster fre foster friess was stand right next to santorum.to be giving the pro santorum super pack more money to stay in this contest and that is totally legal and what a lot of these candidates have. these enormously wealthy guys who are contributing huge amounts of money to these super pacs. >> and jim acosta is there. what's the buzz there on the floor? waiting for rick santorum to talk. obviously, he's been our headlines because of his big three-state sweep. but mitt romney also expected to make this quote unquote major speech. gingrich going to be talking 4:00 p.m. eastern time. who are conservatives there right now talking about when you look at these three candidates about to speak? >> right now, they're talking about rick santorum. wolf just mentioned this, but foster friess was just speaking a few moments ago and the crowd just sort of burst into laughter when he told a joke. a conservative and moderate walk into a bar and the bartender goes, hi, mitt. that just gives you a sense as to how fiery this is going to be today and this rea

is that foster friess and indeed, it was you. i know you've known him for a long time and you're friendly with him, but as a donor to a super pac, there's rules that say you can't work together. you can't coordinate. and there you are standing next to him and i'm wondering if you think that was appropriate that you continue to spend so much time with him or maybe you think it's just transparent. >> well, by the way, how did i look? did i look excited and fun? >> to be honest, i think you're wearing the same tie. >> now, the answer to that is so simple. basically, our lawyers have told us it's simple. just don't talk about the super pac, so the fact there is a super pac is irrelevant to all of the other campaign people, and by not talking about it is fine. plus, i have so little control over the super pac, all i did was write a check. newt came up to me the other day and made some remark to me i said, i don't see the ads. i'm not a hands on guy. i like writing a check and then turn it over to the guys who make it happen. >> so you

earlier today, andrea mitchell asked rick santorum, his benefactor foster friess about his views on contraceptionthis will rock some people what you hear now. you haven't heard it in 50 years and now you'll hear it from rick santorum's big guy foster here. let's listen to something from the old days here. >> this contraceptive thing, my gosh, it's such inexpensive. back in my days, they used bayer aspirin for contraception. the gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly. >> excuse me? i'm just trying to catch my breath from that. >> well, i can't catch my breath. i don't think that was ever the thought process among thinking people. he said the old days, congresswoman norton. a guy who is a big shot backing a guy for president who talks like -- who? who is he? >> the last thing women need is to be insulted on this issue. most women use contraceptives even most catholic women. we ought to tread lightly when talking about something that is important to women's health as contraceptives. but the way to avoid the issue altogether, just have no women there. they expected us to sit there

and then the comments by rick santorum, foster friess. people who haven't heard it, i want to play it again. >> this contraceptive thing. my gosh, it's so inexpensive. back in my days, we used bayer aspirin for contraceptives, the gals put it between their knees and it wasn't that costly. >> excuse me, i'm trying to catch my breath from that, frankly. >> i want to get your comment on that and just overall, are you surprised at the level to which social issues have played in this campaign? >> no, it's an affirmation of the fact that intelligence is not uniform across the board. mr. friess is good at some things that made him very rich, but he also appears to have moronic tendencies. you can be very good about some things and bizarre about others, but it also makes clear what we have here. this is not an attack on contraception. and mr. santorum was clear. when the supreme court decided in the lawrence case with sandra day o'connor and the majority that you should not send people to prison for who adults of the same sex have consenting sex