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Karen Handel Resigns From Komen

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 11:26:24 AM EST
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Karen Handel, the senior vice president of public policy for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, resigned today. Koman founder and CEO Nancy Brinker released this statement:

"Today I accepted the resignation of Karen Handel, who has served as Senior Vice President for Policy since April 2011. I have known Karen for many years, and we both share a common commitment to our organization's lifelong mission, which must always remain our sole focus. I wish her the best in future endeavors."

You can read Handel's letter here.

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    Karen Handel Resigns From Komen | 25 comments (25 topical)

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    They still need to clean up the rest (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by MyLeftMind on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 12:26:41 PM EST
    of the board.

    so when is nancy brinker going to resign? (5.00 / 2) (#12)
    by cpinva on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 02:49:36 PM EST
    frankly, at this point, it really doesn't matter, the jig is up for the komen organization. beyond the PP fiasco, too much negative information has gotten a public airing as a result, and the glaring hollowness of SGK has been exposed. it's basically a foundation established to provide empolyment for nancy brinker, it doesn't really do anything for women's health by its lonesome.

    send your donations to goups that actually do the work, like PP. they don't need a middleman funneling money to them, send it direct.

    too little too late (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by kmblue on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 03:20:01 PM EST
    Komen is done.  The pink has turned red.

    Don't worry about her (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 06:28:23 PM EST
    Wingnut welfare will provide her a job that pays a couple of hundred thousand for showing up.

    I read the letter (none / 0) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 11:35:47 AM EST
    She's denied the severance package.  SHE'S GONNA TALK :)

    Will this be the second train wreck?  Can Komen be that stupid?  They have already been that stupid so most likely yes.  They really got too big for their britches.  I suspect because most people are like me.  I've got a real life on my plate, makes me a little gullible sometimes.  I really do want to believe that money, influence, and fame would never become more important than curing dying people.

    The bit about... (5.00 / 7) (#2)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 11:52:56 AM EST
    "the need to distance Komen from controversy" was pretty rich.  Distance?  Ya invited controversy over for dinner, and it is staying for coffee and cake.

    And all this stuff about serving women, serving women...unless women are too poor to be served by anybody but Planned Parenthood I guess.

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    Have you ever considered (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by MO Blue on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 02:59:53 PM EST
    writing for a living? You have an unique way with words that is throughly enjoyable.

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    kdog & MT: resident poets (5.00 / 0) (#14)
    by The Addams Family on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 03:03:47 PM EST


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    You're too kind MO... (none / 0) (#17)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 03:28:06 PM EST
    Getting paid might shame my game...besides, then what would I do for fun & leisure?

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    Good Riddance (none / 0) (#5)
    by athyrio on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 12:14:07 PM EST
    Caring for the poor should be a requirement for that job....something that she obviously lacked...


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    Now she is free... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 12:49:50 PM EST
    to be Romney's running mate...two peas in a pod.

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    They may think that they (none / 0) (#10)
    by KeysDan on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 02:25:22 PM EST
    have distanced themselves from this controversy, but only to cozy up to another:  It is OK to abort to save the organization.

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    The risks of playing (5.00 / 2) (#7)
    by christinep on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 12:41:56 PM EST
    Both ends against the middle. What I think now is that Komen is trapped by the game of both sides...advocating a program for women 's health, broad & loving & compassionate & iwithout regard to politics while at the same time, internally, having a leadership board that hired a top-hand of the political Right.   Given the known background of K. Handel, it had to be well-known by the board that hired her.  So...now we turn to the Board.

    Whether a private institution opposes PP is it's right, of course.  What this seems to be about, tho, is deception. Deceiving supporters, volunteers, contributors into believing that Komen has been operating without regard to political influence.  While politicians do that all the time--e.g., Bush 11's "compassionate conservatism"-- the consequences to a
    Private concern can be swift when those who had been supporters feel that they have been duped.  The difference between what many believed & what is...a many-pronged ethical issue that will continue to drip, drip unless and until it is shown that it is safe to believe In the operation again.

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    did they sat what the sev was? (none / 0) (#3)
    by nycstray on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 11:58:29 AM EST
    she was there less than a year . . .

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    Good catch... (5.00 / 2) (#9)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 12:58:50 PM EST
    a serverance for less than a years "work"?  Most jobs ya don't qualify for vacation time yet much less a severance.

    Is this Bain Capital or a charity they running over there?  At least she turned it down or that would be more money not going to finding a cure or causes.  Severance...lol.

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    My understanding was (none / 0) (#4)
    by NYShooter on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 12:06:01 PM EST
    She declined severance package.....my guess, due to customary restrictions against speaking out

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    Can she sue? (none / 0) (#11)
    by vicndabx on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 02:47:57 PM EST
    Slander maybe?  Assuming wrongful termination is out since she resigned.

    I will say, the pile on is interesting.  Wonder if there'd be so much glee if the woman who was "forced out" was done so for apparent left-leaning political tendencies.

    I would hope... (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 03:25:47 PM EST
    the fact she is a GOP'er has little to nothing to do with it...and anybody would be sh*tcanned from a breast cancer charity for making it harder for women to be screened for breast cancer.

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    Just because breasts (5.00 / 2) (#19)
    by Towanda on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 06:47:43 PM EST
    are left breasts or right breasts doesn't meant that they're political.

    I just asked my breasts, and they convened a bipartisan committee to report that to you.

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    my breasts concur (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by nycstray on Tue Feb 07, 2012 at 11:50:57 PM EST
    funny how some folks don't remember other recent 'outrages' from women and their body parts about decisions being made for them . . .

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    Are you serious, vic? (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by caseyOR on Wed Feb 08, 2012 at 12:16:07 AM EST
    Nancy Handel wasn't "forced out" for her apparent right-leaning politics. She was forced out as part of Nancy Brinker's attempt to cover her own @ss and save her own 6 figure paycheck.

    And the issue that outraged so many was Komen's obvious decision to put politics ahead of women's health. Komen's move to defund PP was a ham-handed attempt to pander to anti-abortion groups, and it infuriated people who think that we really should stop using women's health care as a political football.

    It was certainly no secret to anyone who paid attention that Nancy Brinker is a Republican, was a bundler for GW Bush, and was a big enough bundler that she scored an ambassadorship from Bush. There was no major hue and cry to oust Brinker for her political leanings, rightward though they be.

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    Yesterday (twice) I heard a piece (none / 0) (#22)
    by oculus on Tue Feb 14, 2012 at 01:22:22 PM EST
    on NPR re fundraising for the upcoming 3-days.  Big pep talk by a Komen local chair person.  Concern was whether those already signed up to walk would be able to get sufficient donor sponsors.  The talking points being pushed did not address the high percentage of $$$s raised going to administration as opposed to breast cancer research.  Big mistake, IMO.  

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    You guys catch this? (none / 0) (#23)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 14, 2012 at 01:42:48 PM EST
    Brinker billed Komen for over 100 grand in expenses while working full time for the Bush administration.  Shaaaaady.

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    Infuriating. I have many friends (none / 0) (#24)
    by oculus on Tue Feb 14, 2012 at 01:52:16 PM EST
    who have gone all out for this organization.  

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    It's a shame... (none / 0) (#25)
    by kdog on Tue Feb 14, 2012 at 02:01:50 PM EST
    and does a diservice to all the charities who work hard to limit the overhead and the extravagance to get the highest percentage of every dollar allocated to the cause.

    You wanna roll with expense reports like that go work for Goldman Sachs or something, not a freakin' charity for god's sake.  No shame.

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    Karen Handel Resigns From Komen | 25 comments (25 topical)

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