Komen Foundation halts donations to Planned Parenthood
The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates – creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women. …
Planned Parenthood says the move results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress – a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups. …
“We’re kind of reeling,” said Patrick Hurd, who is CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia – recipient of a 2010 grant from Komen – and whose wife, Betsi, is a veteran of several Komen fundraising races and is currently battling breast cancer.
“It sounds almost trite, going through this with Betsi, but cancer doesn’t care if you’re pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive, conservative,” Hurd said. “Victims of cancer could care less about people’s politics.”
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Good. They were fundraising for Komen at my childrens’ Catholic school this fall until some parents pointed out the connection.
cynccook on January 31, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Good. They just got another donation.
CycloneCDB on January 31, 2012 at 11:25 PM
What a coincidence! Victims of abortion could care less about people’s politics too!
Common ground.
rihar on January 31, 2012 at 11:25 PM
At last! The Komen Foundation got the message.
As you can see with the quote above, they aren’t afraid to use their loved ones medical condition to fight back though.
Vince on January 31, 2012 at 11:27 PM
Terrific. It really peeves me that I have to be nice to Planned Parenthood which has the nerve to designate itself as a “non-profit organization”.
SouthernGent on January 31, 2012 at 11:27 PM
It’s a step in the right direction.
tuffy on January 31, 2012 at 11:28 PM
Well, people donate money to cancer charities to, I don’t know, fight cancer.
Not support an organization who’s primary business is killing unborn children.
catmman on January 31, 2012 at 11:28 PM
their rationale for supporting PP was a complete joke
Komen claimed PP performed “breast cancer screening” which translated to them supposedly having nurses do breast exams on 20 year old girls.
They have no mammogram capability, which makes breast cancer screening almost pointless
They also screen about the lowest risk population out there, young girls rather than women 40 and up
I’ve been involved with a few big cancer non-profits including Komen, and they’re all extremely left wing.
All were pro-Obamacare too
thurman on January 31, 2012 at 11:28 PM
I was a professional for the American Cancer Society for a while and although you’re right about some of the decision maker types, the volunteers were a completely different story. They were the only thing I miss about that job.
rihar on January 31, 2012 at 11:36 PM
It’s about time they severed this relationship. Even though my own mother died of non-hodgkins lymphoma, my wife’s mother died of breast cancer, and we were long time contributors to Komen, until we discovered their relationship with Planned Parenthood. In spite of their decision to cut ties with the abortion organization, we will not resume contributing to Komen. Clearly they aren’t in line with our values.
Aodhan on January 31, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Funny the way these people value life so much when it’s their own.
CycloneCDB on January 31, 2012 at 11:40 PM
Too late.
The Mega Independent on January 31, 2012 at 11:40 PM
Bravo!
Screw the abortion mills.
blatantblue on January 31, 2012 at 11:42 PM
Soon enough (in 2014) it will be illegal to have insurance that doesn’t pay for cancer screenings and mammograms, so the motivation for Komen to donate to Planned Parenthood will be obsolete anyway.
MayBee on January 31, 2012 at 11:51 PM
that’s good!! a step in the right direction.
everyone is entitled to LIFE, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…
Sachiko on January 31, 2012 at 11:58 PM
Thank goodness. My entire family was looking for a 5k race to run in a few years ago, and one sister suggested a Komen race until I pointed out they give to PP. We went to a different race.
It is kind of, well, stupid for a cancer organization to give to an abortion organization, since there is strong evidence that getting an abortion in the 3rd trimester causes higher rates of breast cancer.
cptacek on February 1, 2012 at 12:09 AM
Actually, considering that it’s more likely to visit women who had one or more abortions before giving birth to a child, breast cancer pretty clearly prefers you to be pro-choice.
Fabozz on February 1, 2012 at 12:13 AM
Komen is still anti-life. They explicitly support embryo-killing research.
Damian G. on February 1, 2012 at 12:18 AM
I used to take part in this race until I discovered their contributions to the Planned Parenthood butcher shops. I just sent them a letter telling them that I would resume my participation next time around.
updog on February 1, 2012 at 12:19 AM
Spoke too soon – scratch what I just said. Thanks for passing this along.
updog on February 1, 2012 at 12:20 AM
All of my leftist friends on Facebook are taking this very hard. How could those right wing fanatics want to let women die of breast cancer??!?!?/
ConArtist in Tampa on February 1, 2012 at 12:26 AM
Richards does understand that Planned Parenthood snuffs out 10s of 1000s of women’s lives every year, uh, right? How “hurtful” is that??
Dollayo on February 1, 2012 at 12:35 AM
Sad to see.
mythicknight on February 1, 2012 at 12:36 AM
Don’t heap on the praise too thick, this is a procedural move (they don’t fund orgs under investigation) and not necessarily related to any change of heart in regards to PP.
yea I’m getting the same thing from all the lefties I know, (good thing they don’t read my blog…)
Gwillie on February 1, 2012 at 12:41 AM
How does one charity give money to another charity, then go begging people for more donations? Take out the abortion angle, I just find the premise of a charity giving money to another charity odd.
angryed on February 1, 2012 at 12:50 AM
The really big “non-profits” are a huge scam.
SouthernGent on February 1, 2012 at 1:04 AM
They also refuse to acknowledge the substantial amount of evidence linking abortion to breast cancer. I still won’t support them.
JannyMae on February 1, 2012 at 1:07 AM
The cynic in me says they’ll still be sending checks, they’ll just funnel it through employees rather than directly from the foundation.
The worst part is, at least if you look at the records of liberal vs. conservative politicians, these organizations get the vast bulk of their money from people whose politics they oppose. Ironically, it’s the donors who don’t care about the politics.
BKennedy on February 1, 2012 at 1:07 AM
If you think this was bad, wait until y’all find out just how much money is being spent on those poor oppressed fabulous boyz and their unique contributions to the disease pool.
As far as I’m concerned, they can take their billions in free medical care, paid for by US taxpayers, and go start their own country. Being forced to breed should be punishment enough for all the lies they used to get fools to support their “rights” agenda.
Morals equals safe living. If you live fast, you die young.
platypus on February 1, 2012 at 1:17 AM
Wow. Amazing how many people/entities are so into killing babies. Jeez.
CycloneCDB on February 1, 2012 at 1:18 AM
And … therefore they should keep giving money to politically charged groups like Planned Parenthood? What’s that logic?
Oh yeah, it isn’t logic. It’s just insanely stupid.
strictnein on February 1, 2012 at 1:24 AM
well, AP seems to be taking this well
joeindc44 on February 1, 2012 at 1:44 AM
Hmm? HotAir is one of the most pro-life blogs on the Internet, including because of the contributions of noted atheist Allah. He has been extremely critical of abortion advocates in the past, and obviously Ed is very much pro-life.
You don’t have to be a believer to recognize the destruction that is wrought by abortion.
fiatboomer on February 1, 2012 at 2:38 AM
I doubt the embryos mind any more than when you sex a girl on the pill and that prevents the fertilized embryo from implanting on the uterine wall, killing it.
Random on February 1, 2012 at 3:39 AM
Yes!!!!
AbaddonsReign on February 1, 2012 at 5:48 AM
Too late.
Not one thin dime ever, they did it once what is to stop them from doing it again?
gdonovan on February 1, 2012 at 5:55 AM
the logic, er..illogic in this statement is just rich. First, cancer cannot be personified–it is a disease, it has no capacity to care whatsoever. Second, who’s against “choice”? There are people against abortion, but abortion isn’t a choice. If we’re going to take this a step further, let’s ask if abortion cares whether you are pro-choice, anti-choice, progressive or conservative when you’re a fetus? I’d say that it doesn’t…..it kills all of them. If it doesn’t then Obama’s laws will get you in the end. Cancer, OTOH, is a disease that many happen to, yes, suffer from but also have a better chance of surviving than does someone suffering from an abortion.
ted c on February 1, 2012 at 6:36 AM
Hmmmm!
I guess it is all in the way you phrase it.
Odysseus on February 1, 2012 at 6:52 AM
How about Planned Parenthood reconsidering abortion…do the right thing for the lives of millions of babies everywhere.
right2bright on February 1, 2012 at 6:59 AM
I own a highly influential publication here in NC, we have completely shut out any publicity for Komen because of their relationship with Planned Parenthood.
They have understood, and they have been working hard to let the people know that they are losing more money, more prestige by supporting Planned Parenthood, than if they did not. It’s been a battle from the ground up. I haven’t been involved in the “battle”, just from the perspective that they need me, more than I need them, so they have relayed that the top tier of Komen was relenting…I didn’t believe it until it happened.
The heads of Komen must have really felt the heat across the nation…
right2bright on February 1, 2012 at 7:04 AM
Komen responds:
Planned parenthood, we considered your request and have decided to do the right thing for the health of millions of unborn women everywhere. We now believe that the only way to give women the best shot at surviving breast cancer is if we first get them to survive their abortion.
Chances.
ted c on February 1, 2012 at 7:08 AM
This is good, but do they ban funding for embryonic stem cell research like a few other breast cancer charities?
itsnotaboutme on February 1, 2012 at 7:15 AM
+1000
inviolet on February 1, 2012 at 7:23 AM
How long before DOJ sues Komen?
ctmom on February 1, 2012 at 7:33 AM
This had nothing to do with outside “pressure” and everything to do with money. Kommen saw their receipts go down significantly when it came out they were in bed with PP. It was a financial decision pure and simple.
tommyboy on February 1, 2012 at 8:05 AM
No editorialization going on here. No sir! This is the AP full of objective reporters with no agenda. Just reporting the unvarnished facts!
NotCoach on February 1, 2012 at 8:18 AM
In a self obsessed, narcissistic world if someone cannot speak for themselves they don’t count.
NotCoach on February 1, 2012 at 8:19 AM
So what’s the problem?
I work at a university that is Breast Cancer obsessed and Pro-Abortion obsessed… there will be a backlash. They’ll argue that Komen shouldn’t care about abortion… the threaten not to support because of Komen’s position on Planned Parenthood. Typical leftist illogic.
[Note: it should be "couldn't care less."]
mankai on February 1, 2012 at 8:38 AM
Good. I wasn’t aware they were giving money to PP. What does breast cancer have to do with planning parenthood anyway? There’s zero reason for the organizations to be involved with each other. There are myriad ways for the indigent to get screenings without going to PP. Again, I say “good”.
princetrumpet on February 1, 2012 at 8:39 AM
First story I saw this morning, and it’s already made my day. Fun to hear the gored bull screaming when it’s a liberal institution that gets poked by politics. And as for the women PP has saved, I live in a small town with a small local hospital that at least twice a year does free cancer screening for women, so the opportunities are out there for all at no cost.
waterytart on February 1, 2012 at 8:44 AM
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