Bizarre, Politics, Society

Race For A [Political] Cure: Komen Cuts Off Funding For Planned Parenthood

Susan G. Komen for the Cure has previously been ridiculed for its bullying of other charities and its lawsuit against any charity using “for the cure” in its name or advertising. Now it is receiving criticism for cutting off funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates and preventive screening services. It is the first time the organization has cut off such funding based on a new rule involving organizations under investigation by Congress.


The House oversight and investigations subcommittee announced in the fall that it would investigate Planned Parenthood’s funding. The organization often becomes a hot button issue during election periods due to the abortion controversy.

Komen has been targeted in a campaign to defund Planned Parenthood. Last year, it hired a vice president who had previously advocated for the group’s defunding in her run for Georgia governor.

Source: Washington Post

168 thoughts on “Race For A [Political] Cure: Komen Cuts Off Funding For Planned Parenthood”

  1. Jill,

    It works both ways. You often paint the left with a broad brush stroke.

    I’ve never heard of Democrats for Personhood of America. Can you provide some information on the group? I try to keep up with the subject of the current war on women.

    I’m sure there are Republican women who are pro-choice–but they appear to choose to remain silent.

  2. Bouise and S.M.,

    I wish to present factual information to counter your Manichean worldview that Democratic women are pro-choice and Republican women are anti-choice. It seems to fit your consistent stand that Republicans are evil doers and Democrats are the good people of the earth.

    Further I am truly disturbed by Blouise comparing Republican women to cancer cells. We have seen historically and cross culturally that such thinking dehumanizes other people and allows one group of people to treat another group of people in very bad ways. I am not saying that you would do this Blouise, but the language is important because it is a form of dehumanization towards women who are Republicans.

    If you will do a quick google search you will find several anti-choice groups specifically for Democratic women. One such is: Democrats for Personhood of America. Now to the Republican side. In addition to Republicans for Choice there is even a PAC devoted to helping keep abortion safe and legal.

    If we truly want to solve the problems which face women, we need to make allies, not enemies. The belief that there are no pro-choice women in the republican party is false. There are allies there. The belief that Democratic women can be counted on to be pro-choice is also false. The idea that Republican women (right wing or otherwise) may be compared to cancer cells is a real thought mistake and creates a dehumanization of another group of human beings.

    1. I’m with you about the dangers of falling for the dehumanization pitfall.

      I think Michael Steele said cogently;

      Two wings, same bird, same shit.

      Now when do we forget party labels and go back to the one per cent concept.? Or RWA’s vs non’s?

      Sure there are party differences. But we have blue dog democrats too.
      And the solid south was in fact solid Democratic once, until Lyndon betrayed them, in their eyes. It’s power, not ideology—-although it is the latter they con us with. BS.

      It’s the biological imperative of life. Expand and recreate, or die.
      Just with a little human trappings over it.

      And the most populous species is not guaranteed the victory. But check evolution biology for details.

  3. SDJ
    maybe they reasoned it out that it they save a woman from breast cancer, then she could go on and eventually have an abortioo……..or something like that.
    Naw, it just the nazis taking over the country, step by step.
    What would they otherwise do with all the nuts they produce, like the former Georgia governor, who is a woman, it is claimed…..!

  5. Denying Planned Parenthood grants to make breast cancer screenings available to low-income women makes no sense whatsoever if the Komen Foundation’s mission is actually fighting breast cancer. How does refusing to fund breast cancer screenings further that mission? Breast cancer screening has absolutely nothing to do with abortion; the foundation’s entire premise for this move is nonsensical.

  9. Rep. Speier Pulls Support From Breast Cancer Foundation Over Decision To Sever Ties With Planned Parenthood
    By Tanya Somanader posted from ThinkProgress Health on Feb 1, 2012 at 8:00 pm
    http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/02/01/416425/rep-speier-pulls-support-from-breast-cancer-foundation-over-decision-to-sever-ties-with-planned-parenthood/

    Excerpt:
    Yesterday, America’s most well-known breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen succumbed to right-wing pressure and ended its partnership with Planned Parenthood, pulling around $600,000 in grants that allow the women’s health organization to provide breast cancer exams for low-income women. Today on the House floor, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) — a “big booster” for the foundation and a participant in its iconic Race for the Cure event — announced that she would no longer support the organization over it’s decision.

    Noting that the foundation based their decision to sever ties on anti-choice advocate Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) “spurious congressional investigation” into Planned Parenthood, Speier blasted Komen for falling into the trap of a “political sandbox.” “A hearing has never been held,” she noted. “I guess it means that Susan G. Komen has become a 501(d)(4), because no longer do they want to be providing nonprofits, they want to become a political advocacy group,” she said.

  12. “Blue is pulling out and the organization will be left to the red republican women.” (SwM) … yep, cancerous cells do that

  14. eniobob

    Thanks for the link you posted at 9:32 am … and thanks for the other info 😉

  15. Wow … I was gone all afternoon and just now sat down to check my email. 68 emails from people and organizations all telling me to donate to Planned Parenthood and all complaining about this latest Taliban/Teabagger move. (There was even an email from the young man who walked my dog … his mom just died from breast cancer.)

    I donate to Planned Parenthood on an annual basis but decided to give some extra now. As for all those Susan G. Komen for the Cure people … there is no cure for the political cancer growing within your organization.

  19. Komen existed in a pink world, a combination of blue and red. Blue is pulling out and the organization will be left to the red republican women.

  20. Elaine M.,

    Excellent….That is good news….I think one things should be reiterated….

    “So it will hurt Planned Parenthood. But they also gained a lot of allies and awareness from this exchange.”

    Sometime a bruise is all’s you need to be made aware of the realities….sometimes it takes a bat…..

    Here, it is I think, a scab on the Partisanship that played in making this decision….as the media guy said….they better learn how to swim…they have tethered themselves to the ocean floor…..

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