Some people see unlimited spending in the post-Citizens United world of campaign finance as a threat to democracy. At CPAC, it's called philanthropy and you get an award for it.
After Rick Santorum finished his otherwise uneventful speech at the conservative conference Friday afternoon, CPAC Chairman Al Cardenas came out to announce that he and Santorum were going to hand out a brand-new award for conservative philanthropy. The recipient, it turned out, was Foster Friess, the conservative billionaire who almost single-handily financed Santorum's presidential campaign with his own private super PAC.
Thus, there was an odd scene on the main stage here where Friess received an award from Santorum in honor of his donations to Santorum. Friess funds other conservative causes as well, including a reportedly sizable investment in the Daily Caller website.
In a bit of unintended irony, Santorum said in his speech just moments earlier that the problem with the left is that they're always looking for handouts. "If all we do this weekend is offer Americans more stuff in hopes that it will dull their pain, we, America, will lose. Let's face it: The left will always offer more stuff, and make it seem like they care more."
Friess, a jovial elder statesman of the social conservative movement with a penchant for getting himself in trouble by voicing his paleolithic social views, accepted the award gratefully and couldn't help but offer one of his trademark jokes.
The other day, he said, his wife told told him, "Honey, I'm having an affair." He replied, "Well, are you gonna have it catered?" The crowd laughed politely.
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