Komen spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the cutoff results from the charity’s newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. According to Komen, this applies to Planned Parenthood because it’s the focus of an inquiry launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., seeking to determine whether public money was improperly spent on abortions.
An anti-abortion rights activist today released an edited undercover video she says exposes Planned Parenthood for "aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of underage girls" and "covering up sex abuse."
The latest release follows similar undercover video releases from young conservative activists, most notably the James O'Keefe-led ACORN videos. And like those videos, which were later revealed to have been selectively edited, this one has immediately generated controversy.
The young woman behind the Planned Parenthood video is O'Keefe associate Lila Rose, whose group Live Action last month sent fake pimps and prostitutes ostensibly involved in an underage sex trafficking ring into Planned Parenthood offices with hidden cameras. Here's how she describes her latest video, which you can watch below:
April 12, 2011 – Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, announced today that it has appointed Karen Handel to serve as senior vice president of public policy. ...
Handel is a well-known and experienced policy maker, having held various positions in government at the local, state and federal level. Most recently, she was the Secretary of State for the state of Georgia, where she had oversight of 400 employees, responsible for overseeing elections, corporations, securities and professional licensing boards.
Handel Campaigned for Governor in 2010 on Anti-Choice and Anti-Planned Parenthood Platform. In a statement on her campaign website, Handel wrote, “I am staunchly and unequivocally pro-life. I believe in the sanctity and inherent dignity of human life, and I will be a pro-life governor who will work tirelessly to promote a culture of life in Georgia…. I believe that each and every unborn child has inherent dignity, that every abortion is a tragedy, and that government has a role, along with the faith community, in encouraging women to choose life in even the most difficult of circumstances…. since I am pro-life, I do not support the mission of Planned Parenthood.”
Susan Goodman, later Susan Goodman Komen, was born in 1943 in Peoria, Illinois. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. She died of the disease at age 36 in 1980. Komen's younger sister, Republican Ambassador Nancy Goodman Brinker, who believed that Susan's outcome might have been better if patients knew more about cancer and its treatment, promised her sister that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer. To fulfill that promise, Brinker founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Komen's memory in 1982.
In 2007, the 25th anniversary of the organization, the name was changed to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and trademarked a new logo in support of its promise "to end breast cancer forever." The new logo is a pink ribbon that resembles a runner in motion and is meant to reflect the importance of Komen's signature Race for the Cure event, which is currently the world's largest fund raising event for breast cancer education and research. The logo symbolically associates the organization with the values of the pink ribbon culture: fear of breast cancer, hope, and the charitable goodness of people and businesses who publicly support the breast cancer movement.
In December 2009 Brinker was appointed CEO of the organization. The Komen CEO salary in 2010 was $459,406 a year.
Stephanie Kight, a vice president with Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, said her affiliate in Southern California received a Komen grant for 2011 and was able to obtain an additional grant of $120,000 for 2012 by signing the deal with its local Komen counterpart just before Komen’s new criteria took effect. Under the criteria, no further grants will be allowed unless the pending House inquiry is resolved in Planned Parenthood’s favor.
Kight said her conversations with local Komen leaders indicated there was a shared sense of frustration over the national Komen decision.
Komen's founder is pretty conservative, too. Komen CEO Nancy G. Brinker, who founded the foundation in memory of a sister who died from breast cancer, was the chief protocol officer for the United States from 2007 to 2009 under the George W. Bush administration, and before that served as his ambassador to Hungary.
Brinker is also a major Republican donor, and has given more than $175,000 to Republican candidates and the Republican National Committee since 1990, according to donor data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Her late husband, Norman Brinker, was the chairman of Brinker International Restaurants, which owns the chains Chili's, Maggiano's, and Macaroni Grill. Norman Brinker gave more than $440,000 to Republicans between 1990 and his death in 2009.
Quote by TriSec:
There's this, too.
Komen's founder is pretty conservative, too. Komen CEO Nancy G. Brinker, who founded the foundation in memory of a sister who died from breast cancer, was the chief protocol officer for the United States from 2007 to 2009 under the George W. Bush administration, and before that served as his ambassador to Hungary.
Brinker is also a major Republican donor, and has given more than $175,000 to Republican candidates and the Republican National Committee since 1990, according to donor data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Her late husband, Norman Brinker, was the chairman of Brinker International Restaurants, which owns the chains Chili's, Maggiano's, and Macaroni Grill. Norman Brinker gave more than $440,000 to Republicans between 1990 and his death in 2009.
Quote by Mondobubba:
This is the best single source deconstruction of this whole situation I've seen in the past couple of day.
BRUSSELS — The United States hopes to end its combat mission in Afghanistan by the middle of next year, more than a year earlier than scheduled, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Wednesday.
His remarks reflected a growing sentiment within the Obama administration that its approach to Iraq, where the official end of U.S. combat operations came 16 months before the final U.S. troop withdrawal in December, may provide a useful model for winding down operations in Afghanistan.
January 2012: Our continuing photo coverage depicts Afghan life as coalition forces fight in the country.
Current NATO strategy, agreed to at a summit in Lisbon in November 2010, calls for coalition forces to gradually shift to a training, advisory and assistance role with the Afghan military on the way to withdrawing all combat troops by the end of 2014.
Quote by wickedpam:
Outstanding blog
Breast cancer touched my life back in the late 70's/early 80's when my grandma was diagnosed with it. We lost her in '84 do to a weakened immune system thanks to surgery to remove the cancer. Since then my family has supported various breast cancer walks, fundraisers and so on. Avon was the first one that I knew of that came out with the pink ribbon pins, I think I still have mine somewhere. Its a shame that SGK Foundation couldn't keep the politics out of women's healthcare.
Didn't know if anyone else realized it but SGK is also teamed with Ford for the Warriors in Pink gear. They raise quite a bit of money that way.
I was wondering - did we at the blog want to adopt PP as a charity that we support?
Quote by Mondobubba:
Here is the Komen article from Salon. Note the headline.
Quote by Raine:Yup -- Handel has been a big time supporter of Palin as well.Quote by Mondobubba:
Here is the Komen article from Salon. Note the headline.
This is all so disgusting.
Quote by Mondobubba:
What I want to know now is how much of the money that Komen raises goes to actual research and prevention vs. lavish perks and salaries.
Quote by Raine:People did question -- and quit because of it.
Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
What I want to know now is how much of the money that Komen raises goes to actual research and prevention vs. lavish perks and salaries.
I've wondered that too. I believe non-profits must disclose certain aspects of their financing (such as percentage used towards "administrative" costs). I'd like to see SGK's finances broken down
Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
What I want to know now is how much of the money that Komen raises goes to actual research and prevention vs. lavish perks and salaries.
I've wondered that too. I believe non-profits must disclose certain aspects of their financing (such as percentage used towards "administrative" costs). I'd like to see SGK's finances broken down
... Yet this is an organization that has repeatedly come under fire for its extravagant promotion of itself as an organization dedicated to a “cure,†when only a small portion of its expenses go to, you know, curing cancer. Komen itself cops to portioning just 24 percent of its funds to research – and 20 percent to fundraising and administration. For an organization with reported revenues of nearly $350 million, that’s still a lot of money for research. It’s an awful lot for itself, too.
Yet Komen remains pretty damn territorial around that whole “cure†thing. In a 2010 story for the Huffington Post, writer Laura Bassett pointed out that, according to Komen’s own financial records, it spends almost “a million dollars a year in donor funds†aggressively going after other organizations that dare to use the phrase “for the cure†– including small charities like Kites for a Cure, Par for the Cure, Surfing for a Cure, Cupcakes for a Cure, and even a dog-sledding event called Mush for the Cure. Let me just give you that number again. A million bucks a year. Robert Smith, better watch your back.
Quote by Raine:Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
What I want to know now is how much of the money that Komen raises goes to actual research and prevention vs. lavish perks and salaries.
I've wondered that too. I believe non-profits must disclose certain aspects of their financing (such as percentage used towards "administrative" costs). I'd like to see SGK's finances broken down
It is mentioned in the Salon article that Mondo posted.This has been an issue with Komen for some time.... Yet this is an organization that has repeatedly come under fire for its extravagant promotion of itself as an organization dedicated to a “cure,†when only a small portion of its expenses go to, you know, curing cancer. Komen itself cops to portioning just 24 percent of its funds to research – and 20 percent to fundraising and administration. For an organization with reported revenues of nearly $350 million, that’s still a lot of money for research. It’s an awful lot for itself, too.
Yet Komen remains pretty damn territorial around that whole “cure†thing. In a 2010 story for the Huffington Post, writer Laura Bassett pointed out that, according to Komen’s own financial records, it spends almost “a million dollars a year in donor funds†aggressively going after other organizations that dare to use the phrase “for the cure†– including small charities like Kites for a Cure, Par for the Cure, Surfing for a Cure, Cupcakes for a Cure, and even a dog-sledding event called Mush for the Cure. Let me just give you that number again. A million bucks a year. Robert Smith, better watch your back.
Quote by Mondobubba:
So, what do they do with the other 56%
Quote by wickedpam:
It would have perfect if it were spring or summer but winter is chancey with weather
Quote by Raine:I'm not going to Philly for the show. My enthusiasm is waning about this whole tour at this point, to be really honest.Quote by wickedpam:
It would have perfect if it were spring or summer but winter is chancey with weather
Call me a whiny liberal but this is DC. friggin' DC. The show exists because of the politics in washington. It seems like a no- brainer.
I;m not begrudging all the people who have had the chance to get a show in thier area -- but they are now returning a second time to some places.
Quote by Raine:That is the 500 dollar question.Quote by Mondobubba:
So, what do they do with the other 56%
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Good morning, bloggers! I hope that everyone is doing well today.
Raine, thanks for an excellent blog. I think that Komen made a huge mistake by wading into politics.
As for myself, it is another day of preparing for the Massachusetts teachers test. Can anyone here give me some ideas where to go for sight seeing as well as some good school districts to check out? (Feel free to post here or contact me on Facebook.)
Quote by livingonli:
Good day, everybody. I'm surprised you didn't point out that Bank of America is also under investigation and that the Foundation still does business with them unlike Planned Parenthood.
Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
I kinda this
Potomac Phil Predicts
IT cracks me up.
Quote by Raine:I am already getting critiques for putting too much into this blog---Quote by livingonli:
Good day, everybody. I'm surprised you didn't point out that Bank of America is also under investigation and that the Foundation still does business with them unlike Planned Parenthood.
I can't come at SGK for all thngs at once.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:
I kinda this
Potomac Phil Predicts
IT cracks me up.
I love that they couldn't find a really groundhog - I think the stuffed one works way better
Quote by Scoopster:Quote by Raine:I am already getting critiques for putting too much into this blog---Quote by livingonli:
Good day, everybody. I'm surprised you didn't point out that Bank of America is also under investigation and that the Foundation still does business with them unlike Planned Parenthood.
I can't come at SGK for all thngs at once.
YES YOU CAN!
Quote by livingonli:
Thom is also talking about the investigations right now with Victoria Jones
Quote by wickedpam:
So Mitt's getting Crazy Donalds endorsement instead on Newt, when it sounds like Newt was expecting it. Wonder how much money just went under the table
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Quote by Raine:
HELL to effin yeah!Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Quote by BobR:
B-box: "I wasn't born yesterday, as most of your viewers can tell..."
Ruse responded to that saying those grants will very likely be the last Komen makes to the abortion business.
“Komen has five outstanding grants going out this year to Planned Parenthood. We have known about them all along. After that, the door is shut,†Ruse said. “Nothing has changed since the decision was made in December to defund Planned Parenthood after these grants are finished.â€
“Could these Planned Parenthood groups apply for future grants? Of course they could. Anyone can apply for anything. Will they get them? Highly unlikely for two reasons,†Ruse added. “First, Komen’s new policy says they do not fund groups that are under investigation or groups that do not provide primary care of women or research.â€