The former Susan G. Komen for the Cure executive who resigned earlier this year amid the controversy over the breast cancer organization’s decision (later reversed) to pull funding from Planned Parenthood is out with a new book telling her side of what happened.
Karen Handel, former secretary of state for Georgia, a Republican, and the former senior vice president of public policy for the Komen Foundation, alleges it was Planned Parenthood, the “left,” and the “liberal media” who made the decision political, not Komen leadership.
“Komen was looking at how to deliver breast health services in the best, most effective way,” Handel said on Andrea Mitchell Reports Thursday. “Unfortunately, what transpired is you saw the left and Planned Parenthood bullied up on Komen over just $700,000. When Komen was about breast health, not about politics, Planned Parenthood made it about politics.”
Asked about the charges lobbed by Handel, Planned Parenthood provided a statement to Lean Forward by Eric Ferrero, a vice president of communications at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “It is incredible that there are people who still want to inject politics into breast cancer detection and treatment," Ferrero countered. "Each year, Planned Parenthood health centers perform nearly 750,000 breast exams. We’re proud of our work to help detect breast cancer, and our focus is always on the patients who rely on Planned Parenthood health centers for this lifesaving care."
Although Komen founder Nancy Brinker denied it, many believed Handel, who had only recently joined the organization when the controversy began, played a significant role in coordinating the decision to reallocate grant funds for breast cancer services away from Planned Parenthood.
Handel, who has been vocal about her pro-life, Christian conservative beliefs, complained she was “singled out” for scapegoating by the “liberal media,” and the “left.”
In her book “Planned Bullyhood,” a not-so-subtle play on Planned Parenthood’s name, Handel also alleges that politicians from both the right and left – Republican strategist Karl Rove and Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz – pressured Brinker to resume funding to Planned Parenthood. (Spokespeople for Rove and Wasserman Schultz have denied Handel’s characterization of events.)
Handel characterized the roughly $700,000 in grants Planned Parenthood was set to lose for breast cancer screenings and other breast services as “inconsequential,” saying, “Planned Parenthood wanted the alignment with Komen because it gave them legitimacy, credibility, allowed them to wrap themselves in the pink. That’s what this was about.”
Although Komen, under pressure from some of its own members, ultimately relented in just a few days and returned funding to Planned Parenthood, Handel says she wishes they had “held the line.”
Planned Parenthood announced an expansion of its breast health program last month, which was enabled by the more than $3 million it raised in less than four days from about 77,000 individuals who offered their financial support when the initial Komen decision was made public.
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I had a hard time giving her credence. I know that I shouldn't think this way, but, when a person comes across as, somewhat, "beyond the fringe", in bitterness, I tend to not give their comments credibility. Maybe she needs to come back, when she has calmed down, and placed all of the facts, within a sense of calm reasoning.
I agree Fred but I have a feeling that for her it will always be someone else's fault and not her.
It is my understanding that Planned Parenthood outsources by referral most of their breast cancer screening, taking a "finders fee" for that routine service, and then using that accumulated fee paid to overhead to support their abortion mill services. Just the reason why there should be no federal funding of this organization...all money is fungible, it can not be separated by organizations like Planned Parenthood into just what the donors or contributors wish the funds to go to, and kept from other activities.
Call us when they PP farms out the checking of your breast for cancer and we will perhaps give you an audience or better yet let the government stick a probe up your business end then we will let you see what our secret hand shake is.
My business end gets probed every year during my annual physical examination, and I understand one of the recommendations of the COMMIE COMMISSION that will be rationing our medical care under Obamacare is considering not recommending annual PSA testing (Prostate Specific Antigen), as too costly a lab test to warn of possible prostate cancers (which are the leading cause of death by cancer for males). Have to save somewhere to fund your deduction and co-pay free medical services, you know, GA girl?
By the way, I've been enjoying your peaches, peaches!
I hope the probe was barbed just the make sure they got all the barnacles off the sides of course. Oh and try swallowing those peaches whole next time.
Ha ha ha! Fiesty on a Friday evening hmm GA Girl? By the way, that same utilization committee had already made its trial run of trying to restrict the provision of manograms as a routine preventive diasnotic for all females under age 50 in the early discussions. What do you think of that aspect of bending the curve of medical costs sometime down the road in the future some 20 years out, while preventive services to nip the leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the bud gets curtailed just as PSA blood lab tests for males, all in the name of finding those dollars to pay the co-pay and deduction free oral contraceptives for those like Sandra Fluke that don't want to take a little self responsibility for their own bodies and reproductive care medical needs, as I'm sure you have in your peach sweet life as a Georgia Southern Belle?
I say they didn't shove that probe far enough......it should bring tears to your eyes and an unending howl to your lips. We Southern Belles do know how to make a mean glass of lemonade and shoot a snake in between the eyes at 50 paces......so call before you drop by but I'm woman enough to take full responsibility for me and my Smith and Wesson. So from where I sit I say those men who are so deeply concerned about "Lady business" obviously must not have enough wanker to yank on to keep them busy. I'd lend my magnifier if I though it was strong enough to find it for you. Try knitting it helps to occupy the hands and you can make blankets to keep you warm cause your empty rhetoric and talking points surly isn't blowing enough hot air to keep you warm at night.
I use a Ruger myself, but I don't shoot snakes. Those big fat Connecticut rattlers remind me that I'm packing more than a .327 Federal Magnum, Peaches! But be careful with that magnifying glass...that Georgia sun can sure start a fire quickly in the Bush when it concentrates those rays through one of those lenses! LOL!
My daddy always said if a man has to have an over sized gun to do what a regular sized one can do better its probably over compensation for what the Good Lord didn't see fit the bless him with. Keith, your phallic symbolism is quite revealing but not in a good way. But alas isn't it ALWAYS the case with little men with big mouths. Your party seems to be over run with men in similar circumstances as yours perhaps if you embrace the legitimacy of science they may help to find a cure or at least develop a fix to help you poor souls move out of the "laugh can point category." ROFL!!
PS: You folks also don't seem to get when your asses are being whipped like broke down mule in the middle of planting season. Another curious defect of your kind I suspect.
Nothing oversized about the .327 Federal Magnum in the Ruger. It's a carry handgun, 2&1/8 in barrel, weighing in at just a good 24 ozs in Stainless Steel, and the .327 round I use is an 85 grain hollowpoint, which gives good velocity and won't penetrate walls if it has to be used in a dwelling. Hits with the energy of a little more than the .38 Special, a little less than the .357 Magnum, with all of the recoil of a .38 Special only, which nakes it a very accurate round. Also will chamber the .32 H&R Manum, and the old police round from the turn of the 19th Century .32 S&W Long, which in its 100 grain Soft Point makes a nice small game getter; that's also the target round in Olympic competition shooting.
I know you Backwoods folks down in those Georgia Pines don't get to learn about too many new things under the sun, but up here in New England we keep well abreast (no pun intended) of modern ballistics as well as science, Peaches! You have a good night now, and don't be dreaming of no snakes crawling up between your peach fuzzed theighs! LOL!
There's that over compensation at work again. I am sure YOU have a much richer fantasy life given the nature of your "condition" In fact most of your party seems to dwell in some altered reality devoid on anything remotely akin to world the rest of us resides in.
Well, its well past your bedtime now, youngun. And at my age and with my experience I'm well grounded in the world I live in. Sweet dreams, GA Girl!
Haven't you watched "The old man and the seat" at your convention stupid doesn't seem to evaporate with age. In fact your party seems filled with Grumpy Old People perhaps injecting some youthful prowess with a dash of sanity and it just might have a change to survive the loss this November. Now run along and squeeze as much "fantasy" and you can get from your dreams cause you'll need it to fall back on come November.
Clint East Wood? Why he did a marvelous job of showing the assembled delegates and millions of TV viewers that this wouldbe Emporer Obama really has no clothes, and it is quite alright to laugh at him for it, GA Girl. The man of "Yes We Can" became the man of "Yes We Can BUT it will take another 4 years." And this before the current blowup of the Promise of the Arab Spring turned to the Disappointment of the Arab Fall all due to Obama's erroneous policies of withdrawal from the strong economic, diplomatic, and military presence in the Middle East that his four previous successors had built up since the disaster of the last failed Democrat Party President both home and abroad, Jimmy Carter.
You just continue to hold tight to your talking points while your tin eared candidate blows it. Maybe Chuck Norris or Clint might cinch a win for you folks next but by then we will have instituted a Bat crap crazy assessment which might hinder their run for the office. But hay you can show them all your shiny pistol they will surely show you theirs. LOL.
If i'm not mistaken, Peaches, yiou were the one to introduce the guy play with your reference to your powess with your Smith & Wesson (manufacted within 40 miles of my hometown). I took it as a subliminal expression of your obvious penis envy, GA Girl, but it would be oh so uncouth to mention that, hmmm? LOL!
You looked that on up didn't you. How can I envy what you lack? I was merely suggesting that you circle jerks might at least enjoy rubbing each others pistols rather then meddling in "Lady Business"
Hey, give me some credit. I worked professionally in Federal Govenment in both Psychology and Social Work Services, well grounded with academic preparation, my dear. Including in my professional work a half dozen years specializing in domestic violence and child abuse and assessment and treatment. That's besides my secondary level teaching preparation and experience. I have creds to "meddle in 'Lady Business'", Peaches.
More over compensation again. Really you should get looked into soon. It makes a drag at parties.
Karen Handel may hide behind the current buzz words about doing things more "effectively" and so forth, but it is clear she had a political agenda. She had it out for Plannned Parenthood. Karen made it political, and now she has payed the appropriate price.
If her first priority is women's health and breast health and she truly wanted to shift the focus from politics, she should be publicly thrilled with the fact that the controversy enabled Planned Parenthood to start a new program with the 3 million dollars that they raised as a result of the controversy and are still able to work with Komen as well. $700,000 "inconsequential"?? The fact that she minimizes the impact that amount of money has in a non-profit organization is astounding.
Mr. Longey, I have a career in non-profits and I can assure you that the money given by donors is very specifically budgeted and cannot be used for just anything for which the organization chooses to allocate it. Planned Parenthood abortions are 3 percent of their overall budget and they offer many, many other services for women who would otherwise have no access. And BTW, there is no rationing in the health care act; If you have insurance, you keep it the way it is, unless you would rather add back in the limits on pre-existing conditions, limits on young adults staying on their families' plans, limits on birth control access, etc.
I'd believe you if you told me that 3% of Planned Parenthood's budget went for Breast Cancer diagnostic screenings referrals, but not abortions as you claim. Do you not understand the very name of this organization? And organizatiions alloction of overhead costs are often the way non profits take from one pool of money, be it donations, or grants, to give another pool the best bang for the buck. Hence, Planned Parenthood will take the federal dollars and grants from orgainizations like Susan Komen for the Cure and pay their extensive overhead of salaries and expenses out of that, while using all donations not allocated specifically or restricted for use to their abortion operations, which is what Planned Parenthood is best known for on the street.
She still isn't doing the Koman Foundation any service by writing the book and speaking about it. We donate to groups we think share our values. This woman is a whiner. She needs to go away.
So let's see...if I understand her point of view, she was "unaware" that there was a huge national effort by Republicans to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood? It was just a coincidence that she wanted to cut funding? And previously she was in a high-ranking Republican political office in a very conservative state....hmmmmm . What's even more frightening is that she seriously believes that cutting services to so many women would create the "best, most effective way" to deliver care? As I understand it, in many places there would be no care! What does that say about the appropriateness of her being in that position with Komen?