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PBS NewsHour: Questions linger about Komen’s commitment to Planned Parenthood



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Ya think? The NewsHouse delves into the points I made yesterday.  Namely, that Komen didn't "fix" all the reasons it said it wasn't going to fund Planned Parenthood breast exams in the future.  And in fact, on Friday night, after Komen had already "apologized" for the brouhaha, Komen again left the door open to shutting down Planned Parenthood grants, according to the NewsHour.

Komen is still playing games.  Which makes sense, since who do they have on their payroll as a media consultant, none of than Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer.  Fleischer and Komen CEO Nancy Brinker go way back in GOP politics, since Komen is a multi-hundred thousand dollar donor to the GOP and a former Bush political appointee.  So it's no wonder that Komen issues an "apology" that seems to be no apology at all.

Note this paragraph buried in their "apology," that I didn't even really notice until a friend pointed it out later. It seethes with condescension and contempt:

It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics -- anyone's politics. [emphasis added]
"Slow down"? Is that like "calm down" - something a controlling man tells an "emotional" woman? Note that Komen talks of the need to "directly" administer grants. That seems to be code for the newest reason they claim they shut down the PPFA grants, because some of them were pass-through grants. Sounds like Komen is leaving the door open to shutting PPFA down again. But here's my favorite line:
We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics -- anyone's politics. [emphasis added]
Anyone's politics?  Excuse me? Implying that it was Komen's critics who injected politics into all of this? Classic blaming the victim.  Another favorite trick men like to pull on the women they step on.  (Just who wrote this press release?  Fleischer himself? Brinker? It sure reads like the typical Republican "I blame you for what I'm actually doing" mind game.)  The only one who injected politics into this discussion was Komen, home of far too many conservative Republican anti-choice activists. Now Komen has the nerve to lecture women who are concerned about breast cancer funding that THOSE WOMEN are the ones who injected politics into this discussion.

This "apology" seethes with contempt.  Komen did a good job defusing the crisis yesterday, but please don't confuse that with fixing the problem, because they haven't.  I don't know about you, but the Race for the Cure is damaged beyond repair in my eyes.  I don't donate to pro-life organizations.  Is Komen a pro-life organization?  Komen will answer that question for us, through their own words and actions.  And so far, I'm not liking what I've seen.  Have you?


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