Allen Stands By Foster ‘Aspirin Between the Knees’ Friess’ Support
Yesterday several news outlets covered the massive influx of cash an Allen SuperPAC received last quarter from outside conservative donors including Foster Friess, the notorious Rick Santorum booster who made headlines for suggesting women should put an aspirin between their knees as an alternative to contraception.
In response to Friess’ strong support for Allen’s reelection bid, the Democratic Party of Virginia released a video highlighting some of Friess’ controversial statements, including the aspirin comments and his dangerous suggestion that President Obama needs a “bulletproof teleprompter.” Governor Tim Kaine challenged Allen directly on the donations and called on him to denounce Friess’ support and suggest the SuperPAC operating on his behalf return the donation.
Unfortunately Allen, who has a career-long record of putting partisan allies ahead of what’s best for Virginia families, declined to stand up to his radical and reckless campaign supporter and refused to call for his SuperPAC to return the money.
Below is a roundup of some of yesterday’s coverage:
On Monday, the Democratic Party of Virginia released a YouTube video seeking to link Allen to Foster Friess, a Wyoming millionaire who was Rick Santorum’s biggest backer. Friess caused trouble for Santorum early this year with a quip about women holding aspirin between their knees as a contraceptive. Friess donated $10,000 to the pro-Allen super PAC.
The video, titled “The Company George Allen Keeps,” plays up the aspirin comment while showing Allen and Friess in cowboy hats.
Kaine himself called on Allen to ask Independence Virginia to return the donation from Friess, who also drew controversy after saying he hopes President Obama’s “teleprompters are bulletproof.”
“I call on George Allen to reject the intolerant views of Foster Friess and ask Independence Virginia to return his contribution,” Kaine said in a prepared statement issued Monday.
Friess was targeted by Democrats over televised comments he made earlier this year that women in his day "used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn't that costly."
In a statement after the donation was publicized, Kaine pressured Allen to reject Friess's "intolerant" views and urge the PAC to return his money
The Virginia Democratic Party also piled on with the release of an online video linking Allen to Friess's views on contraceptives.
On Monday, Kaine called on Allen to urge Independence Virginia to return a $10,000 donation from Foster Friess, a businessman from Wyoming and supporter of conservative Christian causes.
Earlier this year, Friess said in an interview on MSNBC that "back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraception. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn't that costly."
"Mr. Friess has spoken on the need for 'more intolerance.' He suggested that President Obama should invest in a 'bulletproof teleprompter,'?" Kaine said in a statement. "I call on George Allen to reject the intolerant views of Foster Friess and ask Independence Virginia to return his contribution."
Independence Virginia also received $10,000 from Foster Friess, chief financial backer of Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's Super-PAC. Friess was widely criticized, and later apologized, for making a joke about contraceptives on the campaign trail.
Kaine tried to turn Freiss' support against Allen, calling Friess' views "intolerant."
"We should all agree that out-of-state contributions from individuals like Foster Friess should have no influence in this race, Kaine said.