More Bad News for Komen: Vice President Biden Will Skip D.C. Event

[brooklynite]

Source: The Daily Beast

As the Susan G. Komen foundation gears up for its most high-profile event of the year, its Global Race for the Cure in Washington, Vice President Joe Biden will not be hosting a kickoff barbecue for the annual D.C. race, as he and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, have done in previous years.

Meanwhile, U.S. Congressman Mike Honda, who formed a team for the race last year that raised more than $10,000—making him the top fundraiser on Capitol Hill—told The Daily Beast that he will not be participating this year, linking the decision to Komen’s move to cut funds to Planned Parenthood earlier this year amid pressure from Catholic bishops.

The Komen foundation quickly reversed its Planned Parenthood decision amid a backlash, but it has struggled since then, with some Komen affiliates around the country reporting declines in participants at spring races and other fundraising events.

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/04/more-bad-news-for-komen-vice-president-biden-will-skip-d-c-event.html

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So, why aren't the social conservatives who believe in "Christian charity" over "Government handouts" filling in the void?

[MADem]

1. HA-HA!!!!!!! I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

When will Planned Parenthood come up with their own little race? Really--there's a VOID.

Maybe they could be clever and make it something LESS than "three days of grueling Bataan-like hell." Have a bunch of road races, from a 5K run/walk to a marathon--there's always room for another marathon, IMO....!

[monmouth]

2. Spoke to my old boss the other day at the magazine, and they used to participate in this race. Not

this year, and this place is heavily repub. We even had her on the cover at one time. Brinker is usually very visible down here during the social season, was hard to find this year...LOL.

[JNelson6563]

3. This idea to go political will be their end.

And many charities will learn a valuable lesson from Komen's monumental error. And the social conservatives who longed for such a move, well they view such things as they view a baby after it's born, just another hungry mouth to feed, as it were.

Julie

[dropkickpa]

12. It's not just the political thing

The "scandal" shined a spotlight on their practices as a charity for cancer, and a LOT of people are not happy with the numbers. Racing for a cure meant, in a lot of people's minds, directly supporting research into a cure, and they were very surprised to learn how small a portion of the budget goes towards research, and more surprised to learn that in recent years they've cut the funding percentage for research grants in half, even when the organization had explosively higher revenues. Especially troubling with the increasing cuts to all research funding by congress.

If one wants to donate to breast cancer research specifically, BCRF is extremely effective in supporting research, over 90% of funds raised go to support research, the're an amazing little charity that directly supports the search for a cure.

At this point, I doubt that there's anyone who DOESN'T know about breast cancer and the ubiquitous pink ribbon, so carpet-bomb style awareness campaigns aren't as necessary.

[YvonneCa]

17. Great post. n/t

[hamsterjill]

4. That's a very good question, isn't it???

I'm glad to see two prominent men make a statement about what the Komen Foundation has done.

My available charitable dollars are very few, unfortunately, so I make certain to give them to those organizations that I feel are worthy of my few dollars.

Komen is not worthy.

[Dawson Leery]

5. Why would a socially liberal Democrat attend an event hosted by right wing exclusionist theocrats?

[SomeGuyInEagan]

6. Good. Fuck the Komen Foundation.

Nice that Biden has the courage to do the right thing.

[truebrit71]

8. Indeed!

Very scummy to line your own pockets over the death of your own sister...

[Javaman]

7. F Komen...

I ran in their race every year, I also donated money to them for research. (I come from a family of 3 breast cancer survivors).

They can go scratch.

[adigal]

9. I wonder if Romney will do it?? n/t

[peace frog]

10. Let Komen suck up to the RW they slavishly pander to, if they want donations

If they're looking to the Democrats or us lefties to provide them with political cover and plenty of funds, fugedaboudit.

[LynneSin]

11. Politics and Cancer research should never mix

One stupid decision by a former right-wing governor candidate has ruined a great organization. I always knew that SGK was run by republican supporters but in prior years the organization always seemed to be politically-neutral - a group that all party affliates could support.

That stunt pulling funds out of Planned Parenthood was just downright stupid. Planned Parenthood has been working hard to insure women of all financial backgrounds can find help in regards to detecting and treating breast cancer. SGK is going to slowly fizzle out by the stupidity of pulling money from such a good organization like Planned Parenthood.

[usrname]

13. I never understood how people

could think private charities are more efficient than government spending.

For every dollar via taxes that is budgeted for some social welfare program, maybe 90¢ is spent for the program and 10¢ is spent on administration. Medicare, for example, has a very low administrative overhead. Social security has a very low overhead.

Even in classical welfare programs, the money spent goes to the workers at the welfare center, goes to the welfare recipient, goes to buying office items... it doesn't stay in the government.

But a private charity doesn't work that way. If the charity receives $100,000,000, it will hold that money in an interest bearing account and use the interest to pay for everything else: administration, supplies, and charitable disbursement. Usually, the amount handed out to recipients, like cancer research labs in the case of the Komen foundation, is around 5 - 8% of the fund. It's highly inefficient.

[Arugula Latte]

14. Eff you, Komen!

[LanternWaste]

15. SKG invited this by conflating healthcare and politics.

SKG invited this by conflating healthcare and politics. No one would have batted an eye last year if someone of political import decided to speak at an SKG event, or bailed on an invitation.

SKG has now advertised itself as a partisan political special interest group, rather than an apolitical special interest funding cancer research.

I can only hope that other health-oriented charities take this lesson to heart.

[PatSeg]

16. Women will never forget what Komen did

and can no longer be trusted. Actually I don't recall that "Komen QUICKLY reversed its Planned Parenthood decision". I remember them defending the decision publicly for some time before they changed their mind. By then it was too little, too late. They'd made their bed and women let them know there was no going back.

Good for the Bidens. Komen can be replaced.