Komen for the Cure's Nancy Brinker Addresses Planned Parenthood Flap on NBC

Posted by Shirley Brady on February 2, 2012 06:15 PM

Komen for the Cure founder and CEO Nancy G. Brinker addressed the organization's controversial decision to cut funding to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America in a six-minute interview with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, a breast cancer survivor and friend, in one of her first public statements beyond a video statement released on Wednesday. Brinker says the Komen board's decision to make "grant excellence" a measure for funding led to Planned Parenthood being dropped and denied it was singled out or that Komen's brand has been damaged.

New York-based radiologist Dr. Kathy Plesser threatened to quit Komen's medical advisory board unless the decision was reversed. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg also announced that he is giving a $250,000 matching gift to Planned Parenthood to help make up for the loss of funding by the Komen Foundation. "Politics have no place in health care," the mayor stated. "Breast cancer screening saves lives, and hundreds of thousands of women rely on Planned Parenthood for access to care. We should be helping women access that care, not placing barriers in their way."

More about: Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Planned Parenthood, Non-Profits, Social Media, PR, Politics, Health, US, NBC, Andrea Mitchell, Michael Bloomberg, New York, Komen for the Cure

Jon Spangler says:

After listening carefully to Ambassador Nancy Brinker "clarify" the Susan G Komen Foundaton board's decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood I remain highly skeptical.

If, indeed, this decision was value-neutral:

1) Why was Planned parenthood the only organization singled out as not meeting the new SGKF grant criteria? One might expect other grant seekers to also have been affected by a change in standards like this.

2) Why did the SGKF hire a known partisan (Republican and anti-abortion) politician to fill the post of Senior VP of Public Policy if it is, indeed, not pursuing a more politically "pure" agenda?

3) Is the SGKF closely scrutinizing its own very low effectiveness rate since only a paltry 25% of the funds it collects (+/-) actually go towards cancer research and a cure?

The Komen Foundation has not yet removed the major doubts in my mind about its actual motives and practices in deciding to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Not by a long shot.

February 2, 2012 06:57 PM #

Jo Henderson says:

Nancy Brinker has destroyed her own credibility -- and the credibility of a once-great organization.

February 2, 2012 08:46 PM #

Evan Ryan says:

It is disappointing in the extreme that the Komen Foundation is cutting funding to Planned Parenthood in this environment. They are hurting women most in need of breast screenings

As a supporter of the Komen foundation for years - this action on their part is a betrayal of everything we thought they stood for. Taking a political position on an issue that transcends all social boundaries and political affiliations should have been a beneath an organization of this calibre.

Shame on SGKF.

February 3, 2012 10:11 AM #

Bob Chambers says:

Planned Parenthood's primary focus is destroying life. It's about time a Foundation whose focus is saving life stood up for what is right.

February 3, 2012 03:58 AM #

steve fuss says:

Leave it to a man to make a decision about what a woman's choices should be, at this time SGKF has changed their decision on this, but the BRAND has been badly damaged and now inquiry will be made on the MONEY being taken out by the managers of SGKF.

February 3, 2012 12:18 PM #

ned says:

Gee, leave it to an adult to make a decision about whether innocent human life should be expendable. And wow, my female wife agrees with Bob Chambers.

February 3, 2012 04:54 PM #

jeremy says:

"Planned Parenthood's primary focus is destroying life."

3% of it's services is abortion. It's telling that the only way regressives have been able to make their case is by lying.

February 3, 2012 01:41 PM #

Well, it depends on the statistics you're relying on Liberal, to make that claim. The ONE service that PPFA specializes in, that you practically cannot get any other organization to do, and which is their (ugh) bread and butter is abortion. A majority of Americans do not support abortion, so why should Komen be expected to?

February 3, 2012 05:00 PM #

Rodney Greaves says:

It is so unfortunate that Ms. Brinker has destroyed the SGK brand. This charity will only be a ghost of itself in 4 or 5 years from now. SGK was unprepared for the backlash from its decision to not continue funding for Planned Parenthood's breast screening program. By alienating so many people, SGK will lose corporate sponsors, benefactors and other private donations. This once great organization has become so controversial. It is a shame that breast cancer has been so politicized.

February 3, 2012 05:01 AM #

LB says:

Rodney, how could an organization so successful at building a brand be SO unprepared for the backlash? Abortion is a MAJOR issue in the women's health arena, highly politicized, and extremely polarizing. By not continuing to take the 'high road', and stay above the political fray, SGKF had to know they were playing with fire.

February 3, 2012 08:57 AM #

BeLogical says:

Has anyone bothered to consider where SGKF now intends to invest that money? Perhaps even more people wil be helped as a result. Can anyone prove otherwise? Planned Parenthood isn't entitled to those funds.

Sounds to me like a lot of these negative assumptions about SGKF are based more on liberal ideologies then on a true desire to cure breast cancer.

The politicizing of this issue may be shared by both sides.

February 3, 2012 07:34 AM #

Julie Walker says:

If the organization Komen for the "Cure" is seeking to aid organizations that will cure the inconveniences of pregnancy, then they have made a poor decision in withdrawing their support of Planned Parenthood.

If, however, the goals of this organization are to promote women's health and lives, then certainly other organizations whose goals are similar, such as March of Dimes, are more deserving.

It is a fact that only 50% of people survive an abortion procedure; the baby rarely survives.

February 3, 2012 08:06 AM #

Kim says:

This about breast cancer screening not abortion. Or, at least, it should be.

February 3, 2012 09:26 AM #

Yeah, except this is about breast cancer screening. It's quite telling that you guys keep having to throw in red herrings and lies in order to make your points.

February 3, 2012 01:47 PM #