I agree. There are other breast cancer organizations to support, which I will do. Mainly, any donations I can give in terms of cash will be directly to Planned Parenthood. No way will I ever walk for Lomen again, either.

This also isn't an isolated incident of how the right-wingers have, are and will continue to errode women's healthcare on every level. There has been even a stronger, more far-reaching assault since the 2010 mid-term elections. Sadly, it took this to wake most people up to what is going on in a larger and nation wide way. But women are losing healthcare options everyday in this country. Waking up has to happen and lead to action.

Thank you for this post. I got a notice from a friend and have been spreading the word on my social networks. SJK is out of all consideration for support in my book. And my friends' as well.

Just received via email from MoveOn.org...
 

Breaking news: Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced that it is reversing its decision to ban grants to organizations under politically motivated investigation. The bad news is that it's not clear that it will continue funding Planned Parenthood.1 We'll keep up the pressure until it does.

1. "Komen caved. Or did it?" The Washington Post, February 3, 2012
__________________

Nothing's changed. They are just trying to cover their asses and appease the upset masses.





lol, that kinda rhymed. :|

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.co...-in-three-days

Planned Parenthood raises 3 million in 3 days. Yesserie bub, way to go peoples!

And it keeps getting more political
 

I don't think Komen is going to be able to recover from this. Especially as more and more ugly truths about their policies, practices and politics come to light. And they are not the only game in town when it comes to grassroots fundraising for breast cancer research.

As a fundraising professional I know that the Komen foundation is going to be held up as an example for all non-profits...

I can see the conference breakout sessions now: "Komen foundation: how to lose your small and mid-level donor base in one fell swoop" and "political board members, asset or liability?" and "transparency, its not just a buzzword"

I am really really pleased to see the truly unprecedented outpouring of support for Planned Parenthood, over $3million raised in less than 3days!!! That is remarkable. It gives me faith in the American public.

another one bites the dust. As always it takes one idiot to pull down a whole village of idiots. The VP is a bigot and he just caused the collapse of this charity.

Honestly, I would rather support grass roots efforts and not dump my money into these large money pit corrupt charities and more. Times have changed and so should we.

Thanks for the link. I just sent my donation to Planned Parenthood in memory of Susan Komen. I made sure to have an aknowledgement sent to the Women's Motorcyclist Foundation, the org through which our breast cancer fundraising efforts have previously funneled money to the Komen Foundation.

The thing is this isn’t a recent change in politics for the Komen Foundation or for its founder, Nancy Brinker. It is a case of Komen misjudging the size of the backlash from their latest right wing maneuver. The immediate fallout is a perfect example of the ease with which information is spread online as well as proof that the average person does not share their right wing agenda. And the discovery of the disturbing truth that has always lurked in the shadows concering the Kormen Foundation's right wing agenda is a testament to the depth and breadth of what is available with a simple internet search or just a little digging through the web. It is no wonder there are forces at work behind the scenes trying to find ways to gag the net.

This is an article that appeared in 2002 about the Komen Foundation's politics. http://www.alternet.org/story/14014/


And even back in 2000 their political agenda was the same. So really the only difference is now more people are aware. Hopefully that will translate financially into a more equitable distribution of private funding for women’s health care.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/0...litical-Agenda

Behind the Pink Curtain - Komen's Political Agenda

In 2000, when I first became a breast cancer activist, one of my first assignments was contacting the senators and members of Congress in my area to encourage their support for the Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention & Treatment Act. The bill was to provide Medicaid coverage for uninsured women diagnosed through the Breast & Cervical Cancer Prevention & Screening Act, which had been passed several years earlier. IOW, the Treatment Act was necessary because uninsured women were getting no-cost breast cancer diagnosis, but still had no means to pay for treatment.
Sounds easy, right? You screen and diagnose them, you have to help them get treatment. Except one of my GOP senators didn't see it that way, and he had another breast cancer group who agreed with him....

Upon calling my GOP senator and speaking with his aide, I was shocked to hear her tell me "Sen.__ can't sign on as a co-sponsor to the bill because all the breast cancer groups aren't in agreement on it." Shocked, I asked her who was opposing it. She told me that Komen opposed the bill. When I asked her why, she explained that Komen felt that treatment for uninsured breast cancer patients should be funded through private donations, like the pink ribbon race. I was speechless, in shock. A phone call to another activist confirmed it was true - Komen was lobbying behind the scenes to kill the bill. A moment later, Sen.__'s aide called me back and begged me not to repeat our conversation to anyone, that she had given me the information by mistake.

Thus my lesson about Komen began in 2000. They spend a lot of money lobbying for a very different agenda.

The bill passed anyway and Bill Clinton, who pushed hard in Congress for its passage, was happy to sign it. Unfortunately, it wasn't the end of Komen (and its founder, Nancy Brinker's) political maneuvering to stall or kill legislation in Congress and in state legislatures that was supported by other breast cancer advocacy groups.

They fought behind the scenes in my state to prevent the governor from adopting the Treatment Program. They worked for several years to stall or kill the Breast Cancer & Environmental Research Act. In the end, they eviscerated it by removing new funding for environmental research and substituting a panel to review all research on breast cancer & environment. Using private funds, they recently collaborated with the Institute of Medicine to develop said report. Released last December, it sadly detailed the same old arguments that there's no evidence of links between environmental toxins and that no further research should be done on the subject since everyone has those toxins in their bodies already. Instead they chose to blame breast cancer patients for getting the disease.

In 2009, Komen lobbied behind the scenes to weaken the health care bill (ACA) as it was being debated in Congress. They hired Hadassah Lieberman, wife of Joe, in an effort to convince Joementum to vote against the Public Option. Komen spent over $1 million in 2008 & 2009, on behind the scenes lobbying related to the health care reform bill, so who knows what else was on their agenda.

Nancy Brinker, the founder of Komen and sister of the famed, now deceased Susan G. Komen, has always thought of herself as a heavy hitting player in politics. As you've seen in other diaries, she raised millions for Bush's election, as well as other GOP lawmakers. She was appointed by Bush to high positions in his administration. She has a very large ego and likes to play the role of political kingmaker, using her corporate backed non-profit organization to further her agenda.

Sorry, folks, but this is how they roll. It's how they've always done things, they're just being more transparent than they have in the past. And as an organization that seldom screws up and who hires some of the best political and marketing consultants in the country, they must think they have a chance at succeeding.

Who's behind them, besides the GOP? Corporations, pharma companies, and probably a lot of very influential hospital and health care associations.

Q
 

It is NEVER to late to pull out of the run for pink event. Thinking that because the local group is ok, it's ok to give time and money for the local group. Guess what......your money goes to the main office and some stays in the local community.

Komen has never been anything other than a money/power maker. I've never given them one dime of my time or money. I figured it out when I applied for a job with them. I was an activist and they were not the least bit interested in activism that actually helped women. That was the 90s and nothing has changed except the public is finally getting to seeing the nastiness and corruption.

By the way...........I looked at their very fancy financials statements. They run a total of 20% administrative costs........and it has to be higher because you always cook your books to make that admin cost as low as possible (oh wait....I should not say that cuz that means you get to look behind the curtain dorothy)

edited to ad: no matter what you tell yourself about 'I run for those who can't run'.....you are running for Komen and Komen gets your money.

From The Daily Share...MoveOn.org
 

It's been a heck of a week for the supporters of breast cancer research. Perhaps the person who can really put it in perspective is Linda. As a breast cancer survivor and former supporter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, her words are incredibly powerful. Watch:

Karen Handel, Susan G. Komen's Anti-Abortion VP, Drove Decision To Defund Planned Parenthood ~ HuffPo

<snip>...Emails between Komen leadership on the day the Planned Parenthood decision was announced, which were reviewed by HuffPost under the condition they not be published, confirm the source's description of Handel's sole "authority" in crafting and implementing the Planned Parenthood policy.

Komen Isn't the Only Do-Gooder Group Conservatives Targeted for Planned Parenthood Ties
 

But Komen isn't the only apparently apolitical organization experiencing pressure to break ties to Planned Parenthood. While reporting Thursday's story on the right-wing boycott of Girl Scout cookies because of a Colorado council that allowed a transgender seven-year-old to join a troop, I learned that conservatives' biggest complaint with the Girl Scouts is the organization's ties to Planned Parenthood. Sure, inclusion of a transgender girl has some people up in arms. But the Girl Scouts' supposed association with what Cathy Ruse, a blogger for the Family Research Council, described to me as "the biggest abortion business in the US" is the religious right's main beef with the 100-year-old girls' leadership organization.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/...7C+MoJoBlog%29

It's "NEVER too late" ???? yes, I have been preparing for this race for a long time, My money is paid.... was paid before the funding was cut and then uncut.... our local affiliate STILL WORKS WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD. I don't have to agree with the freaking headquarters idiots to support the local affiliate.
Yes, SGK is a greedy organization....I hate their politics.... but... SGK has helped a handful of my friends.... I cannot and will not ignore that.... Will this be the last SGK race I run in... I don't know... I will watch and wait....
It's not up to you to tell me who I run for or belittle why I'm running..... I AM running for those who cannot run.....

My comments were directed at the ideas, not you Texas Cowboi.

Planned Parenthood never had funding cut. The local affiliates are still working with PP based on the money awarded during the last grant cycle. The Komen BoD under VP of Public Policy Handel (a right wing nut job) changed the rules for this next grant cycle specifically to keep PP from applying. PP was denied the ability to submit proposals for the next grant cycle. After the uproar, Komen said PP could apply in the next grant cycle. Planned Parenthood may or may not be granted money in this next cycle. Komen is doing the 'watch this hand' game, however the truth about them is finally coming to light.

If any person thinks it's too late to pull out, I have a suggestion. First, wear nothing with the Komen logo (ever again). Second, wear a sign that says this is your last run because Komen does not support women's health.

I absolutely know one of my best friends in this world, who died (age 45) of breast cancer not detected by mammogram (so much for early detection), would haunt me for the rest of my life if I gave a penny to any and every group that had the Komen brand on it.

""no matter what you tell yourself about 'I run for those who can't run'.....you are running for Komen and Komen gets your money" ok, that read that you were belittling my running for these people who are so sickened with this disease that they cant run themself..... I run for them.... you belittled and criticized My "ideas" .... you belittle me. bottom line is you dont get to tell me who I run for Toughy......

I wonder if I can get Team Jogging for Jugs or Trotting for Titties or even Bowling for Boobs off the ground as another Cancer Charity sporting event...

Toughy..... #1 For me.... it is too late to pull out of the race..... get past that please...... #2 I am ALREADY planning a protest during the race...... My own protest..... Trust me.... it will be a good one......I've already run it by several people.... #3.... not gonna post a sign saying that this will be my last run because I dont know if this will be my last run.... I will be watching Komen very closelu to see what they do with their funding.... while they support the underprivileged women of our county area

I'm very anti-Komen and have been for quite some time now. I was also diagnosed with aggressive Breast Cancer in October 2009.

with that said...

I fully support and am proud of TC's decision to run in this event. The decision to participate was a long thought out and well planned one. It is a decision to race FOR the survivors and for those precious lives we have lost. It's not to race in support of Komen. As far as the money goes. Yes, there will be funds raised and yes, only some of the money will stay within the community. Approximately 75%. That's 75% more funds available to benefit those in need. For this purpose, I'm okay with that. I honor and respect TC's and any other person's decision to participate in these events. It is their own choice and they almost all race for someone they care for and/or for whom they have lost. I'm not going to take that away from them, even if I do believe that SGK does not have their priorities or funding straight. I expect that we will see more than just TC running in a SGK sponsored race, protesting in their own way throughout the country. I see it as an act of activism, bravery and wonderful bit of "F-U". We each protest in the ways that we can. Some by giving their time or money to more deserving organizations, some via word of mouth and by educating others, some silently, some boldly and some just as TC has chosen to do.

Toughy - My heart aches for the loss of your friend.

...look Texas Cowboi....you do not own the idea of whether to run or not, wear a pink ribbon or not, protest or not. Once again, I was not belittling you, I was giving my opinion about raising money for Komen by running. I offered a suggestion or two for those who still want to run. This is soooooooo not about you the person Cowboi.

We human beings tell ourselves all kinds of things about why we do things and it makes us feel better if we feel like we are doing something good. That includes me.

In the end, the money goes to the general fund of Komen. Every penny raised in their events is an unrestricted donation that Komen can spend anyway they want. Komen cuts a deal with the local affiliates for part of that money. That's how it works. You can pretty up the language to make it sound all nice, however just remember the Board of Directors approved this endeavor. That would be the leadership, so I bet a dollar to a donut PP will either get no money or drastically reduced money in the next grant cycle.

Vonni, thanks for your condolences......

BREAKING: Anti-Choice Komen VP Karen Handel Resigns, Admits Role In Plan\ned Parenthood Decision

Her resignation letter: http://karenhandelkomen.com/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/0...=sidebyuserrec

the last paragraph from the above article:

Komen is in damage control mode, and despite its blatant dishonesty, it will be well served by the traditional media's now traditional role of obscuring and obfuscating. But what has been revealed by Komen's move against Planned Parenthood was not out of character for an organization that long has proved itself more interested in self-promotion than public health. Komen is not about medical science, but it never really was.

What Breast Cancer is, and is not!
 

article via Huff Po

Interesting article. Talks about the breakdown of donations.

I Will Not Be Pinkwashed

Repeats in case they were missed the first time around.
Komen Foundation's Politics


Behind The Pink Curtain