Them on Us: Friess frame: famed J-Holer caught at Santorum rally

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

By Jake Nichols

We had to look twice to be sure but that was none other than Jackson Hole billionaire philanthropist Foster Friess standing just behind GOP candidate Rick Santorum during his ‘victory speech’ after nearly tying Mitt Romney in the Iowa caucus. Friess has been a longtime supporter of Santorum and, now, CNBC is among many outlets reporting the financier is one of the principal backers behind a new Santorum Super PAC which dropped $530,000 for TV ads during the last week of Iowa’s caucus.

Aside from spelling his name wrong, MSNBC got mostly everything else right about Friess.

“He declined to give precise figures on how much he has put into the Super PAC,” MSNBC scribe Michael Isikoff wrote.

“I don’t dare let my wife know that,” Friess joked, but said he wouldn’t object to a report that he was the major financial backer of the Super PAC. “If I put up a million bucks, it doesn’t compare to the kind of commitment the country’s Founding Fathers made or American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan make.”

MSNBC said Friess’ funding of the Super PAC called the “Red, White and Blue Fund,” which has not yet been publicly disclosed, is the latest example of how wealthy donors are pouring funds into Super PACs to influence the presidential election.

Why is everyone so surprised we have Thai food in Wyoming?
Teton Thai got all loved on by USA Today. Larry Olmsted, who is one of the country’s busiest freelance writers, wrote the sparkling review for the Great American Bites column in the Travel section.

“Where is the last place you would expect to find great Thai food?” Olmsted’s masterful lede began. “If you answered, ‘In the middle of the employee parking lot at the Jackson Hole Mountain ski resort in Wyoming,’ then be prepared to be shocked. I know I was. And I am not the only one - if you read almost any customer review on Yelp, Chowhound or Urban Spoon, it will begin with something like “World Class Thai Food in Wyoming? Yes!”

The online piece received more than a few ‘likes’ and comments from Jackson residents. Even JHMR spokesperson Zahan Billimoria had to rave: “You’ve got to try it, totally different from anything else around, and a great mix of locals and visitors.”

Guest reader is freckle-famous
Actress Julianne Moore’s surprise visit to the Teton County Library made entertainment news headlines across the country. Newspapers from the Washington Examiner to the Syracuse Post Standard ‘borrowed’ the JH News&Guide coverage that the Academy Award-nominated actress and bestselling author was a ‘pop-in’ reader at the Teton County Library’s Storytime. She read from her book Freckleface Strawberry, which is also being adapted for the stage.

Golf star hangs with his cowboy clan in Hawaii
PGATour.com caught up with the 2011 Rookie of the Year in Hawaii this week. Keegan Bradley, son of JH Golf and Tennis pro Mark Bradley, was in Kapalua, Hawaii for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

“Not all of the fans decked out in the red shirts on Monday with the Keegan’s Clan emblem (KB initials on top of a four-leaf clover) live in Hawaii. In fact, most of them are from Jackson Hole, Wyo., where Keegan Bradley’s dad Mark is the head pro at the Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club,” wrote Mike McAllister.

Jackson Hole High School alum (Class of 1978) Scott Bancroft organized the golf luau. Bradley said he was feelin’ it off the tee but his putting was “ferociously bad.”

courtesy SF EXAMINER
Friess has dropped mega bucks into a Santorum Super PAC.

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Them on Us: Friess frame: famed J-Holer caught at Santorum rally | Planet JH News Article: General News

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