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3 BILLIONAIRES WHO COULD DRAG OUT THE GOP RACE: Sheldon Adelson, Foster Friess and Jon Huntsman Sr. -- Kenneth P. Vogel: “The three men are contributing millions of dollars to outside groups flooding the airwaves in early voting states with brutal ads attacking Romney, and ads backing the candidates they would prefer … Adelson, a Las Vegas casino mogul, has written a $5 million check … to a super PAC backing Newt Gingrich … Huntsman Sr., who made his fortune at the helm of an eponymous chemical and manufacturing company, reportedly has invested millions in a super PAC supporting … his son … Friess, a Wyoming mutual fund master [who calls himself ‘the major investor in the Daily Caller’], acknowledged to POLITICO that he is a major financial backer of a super PAC supporting Rick Santorum called the Red, White and Blue Fund and is preparing to give more …

“The prospect that these candidates could carry on is a testament to the new world of campaign money ushered in by a pair of federal court rulings in 2010: A single wealthy donor can now prop up a presidential campaign with unlimited cash, even if the candidate is getting little traction with voters. ‘I guess if Newt’s got $5 million, it makes sense that Rick [Santorum] should have a little bit,’ said Friess, who has known Santorum since the 1990s and shares his conservative views on social and foreign policy issues. … ‘I believe that Rick Santorum is the most electable candidate. And I’m just thrilled to be able to have played a role so far.’

“Friess did not shy away from the characterization that the $537,000 spent by the Red, White and Blue Fund in Iowa — which dwarfed the $22,000 spent by Santorum’s campaign on ads in the state — helped propel Santorum to a close second to Romney in the state’s caucuses. But Friess laughed off a [post by a contributing blogger] on the liberal Daily Kos headlined ‘Meet Foster Friess, Billionaire Who Bought Iowa for Santorum.’ ‘I told my wife “Wow, I got a bargain,”’ he said, noting that the super PACs and campaigns supporting Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry spent far more.” http://bit.ly/xinnf6