In her new book, Karen Handel relays the story behind the “aggressive” and “partisan” attacks from Planned Parenthood following the breast-cancer charity's announcement to cut grant funding.
Handel told Catholic News Agency that when Komen for the Cure announced Feb. 1 that it had decided to restructure funds to Planned Parenthood, the charity “was trying to make a commonsense business decision.”
However, what followed was what Komen's former vice president of public policy called “a massive, premeditated attack on a breast-cancer organization” by Planned Parenthood.
In a Sept. 7 interview, Handel outlined her new book, Planned Bullyhood: The Truth About the Funding Battle With Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which was released Sept. 11 from Howard Books.
When the announcement was made earlier this year, Planned Parenthood had received funds from the organization for breast-cancer education and screening, but not actual mammograms.
Komen decided that they needed to move away from “pass-through grants” or grants that would be used by one organization to pass along to another, such as was the case with Planned Parenthood in its outsourcing for mammograms. The charity also wanted to pull funding from any organization undergoing investigation, which included Planned Parenthood.
But on Feb. 3, founder and CEO of Komen for the Cure, Nancy Brinker, apologized to “the American public” for the original decision and said she did not want her charity “marred or affected by politics.”
Handel said that, at the time, Planned Parenthood and its president, Cecile Richards, “tried to portray themselves as victims, when, in reality, they were the big bullies in all of this.”
The outcry following the announcement to cut funding, which was $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before, “was not about money” for Planned Parenthood, but about “making a point.”
“Making a point that organizations were going to do what (Planned Parenthood) said, or they would pay,” Handel said. “And they exacted a high price from Komen.”
“What I find so despicable about it is that, while Planned Parenthood is trying to claim that they are all about women, they had no qualms about trying to destroy an organization that is truly about saving women,” Handel said.
Handel believes Komen should have “stayed the course” in its decision, which was “never about anything but the best interests of women.”
“In capitulating to the political outcry,” of Planned Parenthood, however, she said the decision “became about politics.”
Handel decided to step down from her position at Komen “out of fairness to the organization” when she realized that Planned Parenthood would “not rest until I wasn't there.”
“I knew that I had to leave,” she said. “And that decision was made the moment Komen capitulated.”
Although many media sources reported on the surge in donations to Planned Parenthood following Komen's announcement, most failed to mention the significant increase to the breast-cancer charity in the wake of their grant-restructuring announcement.
“I can't really talk about the number because, as a (former) member of senior management, that is something I would consider proprietary to Komen,” Handel said, “but I can tell you their contributions did go up dramatically in those three days.”
Handel said she hopes her book will highlight the amount of tax dollars that fund the nation's largest abortion provider, as well as the organization's political dealings.
“The average person,” Handel said, “does not know that it is nearly $1.5 million a day” that goes to Planned Parenthood from “our tax dollars”.
Similarly, Handel said, prior to her involvement with Komen, she “had absolutely no idea” how much time and money Planned Parenthood's president has spent in “the political arena.”
Richards has been an avid supporter of President Barack Obama and his Affordable Care Act, which would require employers to purchase insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and birth control even if doing so violates their consciences.
In a Sept. 5 blog entry for The Huffington Post, Richards championed the president as having “done more to advance women's health than any president in history,” which is “why we're fighting for him in this election.”
Handel said such a strong presence in politics is inappropriate for an organization that receives approximately $500 million a year in federal funding.
“I would submit that for an organization that is using government funding,” Handel said, “to be so blatantly involved in politics is something that we should all have real concerns about.”
Planned Parenthood has been the subject of a federal investigation headed by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., since last year. The investigation was launched after the pro-life group Americans United for Life issued a report indicating financial irregularities and involvement in assisting those involved in sex-trafficking and prostitution.
“Ultimately,” Handel said, “I hope (Komen) can come out of this stronger.”
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Good for Karen Handel. I really respect her decision.
Another example where capitulation never works to the good. Whether it is in the Life issues or on the Foreign Policy front, capitulation and/or appeasment only encourages the offender and works against those championing good causes. You have to respect Karen Handel for standing by her principles and performing in a professional way. I hope that Nancy Brinker has learned that sticking to good principles and business practices is the only way to go.
Komen several years ago held their International Annual Meeting in Cairo Egypt. The Israeli delegation was refused admittance by the Egyptian government. Komen went along with this grotesque act. Never mind that Israel is responsible for some of the most advanced and significant cancer research in the world and that the most common form of surgery in women-despising Egypt is clitorectemy. Komen relented after something of an uproar but so late that the Israeli delegation could have only made the last day of the conference if they did come. I’ve never given them a dime since.
Karen Handel is a brave and righteous woman, and will prevail in the end…
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The mendacity and outright evil of PP is becoming apparent to all informed men and women. De-fund Planned Parenthood now! Let all the debauched harridans like Sandra Fluke pony up their own funds for this degenerate organization.
Wow! We could cut our National deficit spending by $547.5 million dollars in one year just by defunding Planned Parenthood and making them survive on “donations” and fees. We could also save money by ditching the oxymoron of “The Affordable Care Act”.
I would start buying breast cancer stuff and donating to Komen if they would stop paying the extortion fee that Planned Parenthood exacts from them.
This year, I am a 10-year survivor of breast cancer. I have participated in the local Race for the Cure (walking, not running), and in association with this event have raised funds through pledges fom my friends. I was unaware of Komen’s funding of Planned Parenthood. When all this became known in this boomerang decision by Komen, I decided I would never again support or promote Komen. I will make my donations for research and support with respect to breast cancer through other organizations, that have not been co-opted by Planned Parenthood and the radical feminist followers of Margaret Sanger.
Good for Karen Handel. No more $$ to Komen, even if it’s requested as a memorial gift. There are better ways to remember a loved one or friend than directly or indirectly channeling money to an organization devoted to killing innocents.
I have noticed that most people think of Planned Parenthood as a non-profit group kindly providing OB-GYN services to poor, pitiful, underserved women, as PP and others continue to portray it as a charitable community service, like a swimming pool or a food bank or a soup kitchen. If “feminists” only knew that this anti-female corporation, receiving zillions of dollars from our taxes and other unsuspecting contributors, is actually a FOR PROFIT business greedily reaping profits from all directions, they may reevaluate the propaganda surrounding it. It is disgusting that the FOR PROFIT Planned Parenthood can tear down a true pro-female charity like Komen.
What Handel doesn’t seem to get is that it’s not only Komen’s alliance to PP that is the problem. It also gives money to universities that use embryonic stem cells from abortions for breast cancer research. Top that off with a vulgar commercialization campaign that puts sexually suggestive words on tee shirts, like “booby prize” spelled out in pink ribbons; an exhausting supply of tacky pink tchotchkes (Ann Brones’ 10/3/11 article in Ecosalon lists 5 worst); and ambushing customers in stores—I was nearly tackled by a saleswoman at Ulta. At the register, they were about to press the button on an automatic donation I had refused. Komen’s in-your-face promotion is offensive. Who buys this crap anyway? The money spent making trash for the landfill could fund ethical research.
Posted by poetcomic1 on Monday, Sep 17, 2012 7:52 PM (EST):Komen several years ago held their International Annual Meeting in Cairo Egypt. The Israeli delegation was refused admittance by the Egyptian government. Komen went along with this grotesque act. “
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I never heard that before. Thanks!
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