Oh, those lying sacks of shit.
Komen responds to the backlash:
"We don't base our funding decisions ... on whether one side or the other will be pleased," said Komen founder and CEO Nancy Brinker, depicting the criticism as a mischaracterization of the charity's goals and mission.
Komen has said the decision stemmed from newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations under investigation — affecting Planned Parenthood because of an inquiry by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., acting with encouragement from anti-abortion activists.
Brinker said there were additional factors, notably changes in the types of breast-health-service providers it wanted to support. However, she said grants would continue this year to three of the 19 Planned Parenthood affiliates — in Denver, California's Orange County and Waco, Texas — because they served clientele with few other breast-screening options.
...but...
A source with direct knowledge of decision-making at Komen's headquarters in Dallas gave a different account, saying the grant-making criteria were adopted with the deliberate intention of targeting Planned Parenthood. The criteria's impact on Planned Parenthood and its status as the focus of government investigations were highlighted in a memo distributed to Komen affiliates in December.
According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, a driving force behind the move was Karen Handel, hired by Komen last year as vice president for public policy. Handel lost a Georgia gubernatorial campaign in which she stressed her anti-abortion views and frequently denounced Planned Parenthood.
Source.
OK, now I'm surfing their website going "Well, maybe I could take my vacation THERE!" Except I want somewhere warm and sunny, and it looks like it is not warm and sunny there soon.
re: Komen.
In addition, "Komen has said the decision stemmed from newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations under investigation"...
they have not pulled their $7.5 million funding from Penn State - an organization also under investigation from multiple agencies.
I didn't realize that Komen foundation also does not support stem cell research.
what the fuck? how can you be for a cure and not support stem cell research? I don't get this.
Yeah, I noticed that on their website. I think if you looked closely a lot of this was probably apparent for a while. They just haven't forced the issue in a public way before now
I wasn't paying attention. I didn't ever give them $$ and I had no idea this was their agenda.
Man.
No, me either. Because who would think? You don't look for a right-wing agenda in a cancer charity, you know? Except now I will.
what the fuck? how can you be for a cure and not support stem cell research? I don't get this.
Per this summary of the mess at DailyKos, SGK *did* support stem cell research, most recently giving $12M/year in grants, until this past November. Either they were a lot quieter about it or the former grant recipients were, so it just slipped under everyone's radar until this week.
But, yep, hell yeah they used to be for a cure and vigorously support stem cell research, just not no more.
There have been a number of times in the past that I sponsored friends in their races. I want to believe this is going to dramatically change their fund raising, but it is more likely that those that applaud their agenda will make up the difference.
