Ari Fleischer Secretly Helped Guide Komen Strategy On Planned Parenthood

[supernova]

Last edited Fri Feb 3, 2012, 09:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Fleischer’s relationship with Komen and the Planned Parenthood controversy was previously undisclosed. Fleischer confirmed to ThinkProgress his recent role in filling key communications positions at Komen.
....
According to a source, during at least one interview, Planned Parenthood was a major topic of conversation. Fleischer indicated that he had discussed the Planned Parenthood issue with Komen’s CEO, Nancy Brinker, and that she was at her wits end about how to proceed. Fleischer described himself as a longtime friend of Brinker.

Fleischer confirmed to ThinkProgress that he would receive a fee from Komen when the search is complete. Fleischer did not specify the amount of his fee but said it would be “substantially below the normal placement fee charged by executive search companies” because “they’re a charity I believe in.”

Fleischer’s high-level involvement with Komen further complicates its image as an apolitical cancer charity.

more: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/02/03/418797/exclusive-ari-fleischer-komen-planned-parenthood/

Me: Heh. Bolsters the argument that this past week hasn't been just a clusterfuck, it has been an intentional clusterfuck.

edit: More detailed link to article.

[Justice wanted]

1. Why am I not surprised?

[xchrom]

2. Feh! That just figures. Nt

[southernyankeebelle]

3. Why is this charity paying such high fees to higher employees? The money should be going

straight for funding womens issues.

[jonthebru]

49. Because they must hire...

the best fascists and corporatists money can buy!

[southernyankeebelle]

54. Awe I see. Screw the people who need to help with cancer. We must help the

wealthy keep their high paying jobs.

[tridim]

4. It's becoming more and more clear that Komen was involved in fraud, and not finding a cure.

IMO heads need to roll.

[deminks]

5. So, not only is Komen political, it's a Republican gravy train! nt

[EFerrari]

35. I'm stealing this.

That's exactly what it is.

[grantcart]

6. I personally think that Ari Fleischer is the stupidest executive to ever work in the White House.

But I am known for being generous in such formulations.

He may be the stupidest to have worked in the entire vicinity of Washington D.C.

[SusanaMontana41]

18. Tough to pick just one when so many qualify for that label. n/t

[bleever]

53. "Oh Ari,

is there anything you can't fuck up?"

And please include in your magnanimity the people who hired this guy.

[Arugula Latte]

7. Heckuva job, Ari!

[suegeo]

19. Brownie you're doing a heck of a job

I'd like how much they paid him for his advice? And how many women that money could have otherwise helped...

Shows really bad judgment that when, Brinker is at her wit's end, she hired someone with fewer wits than herself. I know! I'll give the car keys to a former member of the Bush Administration. What could possibly go wrong?

Have I mentioned yet tonight how much I hate these people.

I'd also like to see the emails that show that Ari, Handel, and that Florida fascist congressman were pal-ling around to make this happen.

[crunch60]

61. I"m happy

Ari and Handel arrived, whoa, such marketing skills! The good news is that Komen has finally been exposed, their Marketing extravaganza is over! Now for an investigation of Komen and the huge $$$ paid to their executives and other nefarious groups. watch the rats scurry. Pink Stinks!

Something else Brinker is good at.. suing Mom and Pop charities that use "The Cure" in any way.

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/06/susan-komen-cure-affects-cancer-nonprofits.html

[babylonsister]

8. This seals it; no forgiveness from me. nt

[otohara]

32. Thumbs Up

I!m with you...these charities get so big and they begin to loose sight and it becomes all about power and corporate sponsors. The corporations start demanding more for their money. Especially the ones who sponsor an annual event.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. That Ari is turning out to be one hell of a shit stirrer.

[The Wizard]

11. Loser

The bald warthog was behind Komen dumping Planned Parenthood. What the bald warthog failed to grasp is the power of social media. He still sees things through a 10 year old prism.
Ari's role in the Plame exposure was never fully disclosed. He should have been handed a blindfold and cigarette.

[saras]

12. Nah, he didn't deserve the blindfold.Nor a clean execution. Maybe deportation to Syria

[TahitiNut]

13. No surprise that Arid Flyshit takes money from the coathanger crowd.

[Canuckistanian]

14. Aha!

The plot sickens.

[louslobbs]

15. K&R not surprised here either.

Lou

[BeyondGeography]

16. The George W. Bush of PR

What a loser.

[SusanaMontana41]

17. I'm shocked, SHOCKED to find gambling in this establishment! n/t

[Ruby the Liberal]

20. OP - need you to update with the actual link

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/02/03/418797/exclusive-ari-fleischer-komen-planned-parenthood/

[supernova]

21. Thanks, Ruby the Liberal

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. Thank you. We have to be careful

just because Righthaven self-imploded doesn't mean copyright restrictions can't still bite Skinner & Co in the ass.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=copyright

[Smilo]

22. Ari boy - you have gone and done it again............

failed miserably.

Keep it up Ari.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

24. Komen is dead.

Whoops.

[Vanje]

25. It was BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great work!

[LynneSin]

26. Wait - my donations are paying a fee to this FUCKWAD?

Why aren't they being used to help research breast cancer or help treat women.

does this asshole have to do with breast cancer other than to fuck over the poor

[brooklynite]

27. I think the title is misleading...

Ari Fleischer isn't a public official anymore, and no organization is going to develop is policies in public. The fact that he was involved says something about his politics, but not really about his ethics.

[BeHereNow]

28. A trip down memory lane: The Greatest Hits of Ari Fleischer

Courtesy of Democracy Now 2003 archives:
http://www.democracynow.org/2003/7/15/the_greatest_hits_of_ari_fleischer

A collage of his "best" moments... teaser of content...

"We’ll play clips of "Ari and I" as well as questioning by veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas and questions from his last press conference on the Iraq-Niger controversy.

Russell Mokhiber, editor of the Corporate Crime Reporter.
Russell Mokhiber questioning Ari Fleischer about whether he resigned for moral reasons. Recorded at White House press briefing, May 19, 2003.
Ari Fleischer, warning Americans to "watch what they say, watch what they do." Recorded at White House press briefing, Sept. 26, 2001.
Ari Fleischer defending the Bush administration’s use of intelligence on Iraq. Recorded at White House press briefing, July 14, 2003.
Helen Thomas questioning Ari Fleischer on how much President Bush values the lives of Iraqi children. Recorded at White House press briefing, January 6, 2003."

Deliciously revealing~ WHAT a SCUM!
Helen Thomas at her best too!
ENJOY!

BHN

[Politicub]

29. I'm glad the Komen Foundation revealed its true self

I didn't know that much about it, honestly.

[BeHereNow]

30. And the best part is...

They can never take it back.
The damage is irreversible.
They are officially irrelevant.
BHN

[niyad]

31. wow, ties with romney, scalia, and now fleischer. why am I not surprised?

[eyewall]

33. There definitely needs to be an investigation now.

Non-profits have to follow some very strict rules. How much of the money SGKF received from donors was spent plotting this political maneuver, and what is in it for them? Cabinet posts under the next republican administration? Was any of the money funneled to the RNC or any campaigns?

I don't think Planned Parenthood is a target of the republicans for any kind of religious beliefs, I think it's because they help the poor. Plus, birth control enables a pleasurable experience for those who should be suffering in the world the repubs are creating. There's a strong sadistic streak in the republican platform.

[crunch60]

60. they targeted

Planned Parenthood because 3% of their services include abortion-reproductive rights. Handel, Fleischer, are rabid anti-abortion, pro-lifers. Then Cliff Stearns came up with the idea to conduct an "investigation" of PP. That gave Komen the excuse they were looking for to de-fund PP. The right wingers have been infiltrating Komen for several years. I hate PINK!

[carla]

34. Reminds me of the old joke

about the various organs in a body fighting for dominance. The asshole wins...A..hole Fleischer.

[marias23]

36. A loser just like his ex-boss

[olegramps]

37. Everything the Republicans touch turns into cesspool.

I hope this shit hole foundation sinks into oblivion.

[denverbill]

38. Notice how 'charitable' Ari is. He didn't charge them full price. How generous of him.

Leave it to Republickers to line their pockets off of charities.

[katsy]

39. everything ari touches turns to poop. nt

Arrogant fool.

[tanyev]

40. Hey, Ari, next time watch what you say, watch what you do.

[AlbertCat]

41. she was at her wits end about how to proceed.

How so?

Was she confused about the charity's mission: to save women from breast cancer?


Or was she confused about how to persecute Planned Parenthood?



Either way.... new leadership is obviously needed.

[Paladin]

42. Jeez---is there a right-wing shithead who WASN'T connected with Komen? (n/t)

[tabasco]

43. I wonder what Mr. Fleischer's future projects could include.

Maybe we could get him installed as head of Iran's nuclear program, stop worrying, and wait for the mushroom cloud in the Iranian desert.

[The Wizard]

44. Ari's next job

might be a cheer leader at a burning orphanage or hospice.

[tnvoter]

45. the PR on this was horrible.

it's fitting that the guy behind it is Ari Fleischer. I'm laughing so hard, it hurts

[MADem]

46. I heard only TWENTY FOUR CENTS of every "Komen dollar" actually goes to "services" for women.

The rest is "overhead." Talk about a ripoff. Less than a fucking QUARTER of every dollar to the people who need the help--that's egregious.

This sentence cracked me up:

Fleischer did not specify the amount of his fee but said it would be “substantially below the normal placement fee charged by executive search companies” because “they’re a charity I believe in.”

No matter what that asshole's "fee" was, he was plainly OVERPAID! There's no walking back this pile of shit. They've revealed themselves as an agenda-laden, front operation for the right wing of the GOP. Pigs. No, I take that back--what an unfair slur against innocent pigs!

[itsrobert]

50. A lot of charties are scams

But they are not as much as scams as churches.

[MADem]

51. You can't get a mammogram in church, either.

And if the pastor claims he's giving you one, call the cops!

[Phlem]

47. Facinating

They paid for their own demise.

HA!

-p

[October]

48. So he describes himself as a friend to Brinker, then says he'll be paid a fee for his consult. WTF?

"The Stink of Pink!" ©

lol! Unbelievable. No wonder there are seas of pink - a la Cristo - in the NFL stadiums, etc. It's all about profiteering. I feel sick.

[SoapBox]

52. Fleischer = Scum

...'nuff for now.

[bayareaboy]

55. Hi there, My name is Ari ... ...

and step by step, half truth by lies to the extreme, I am back in republiCANT politics. Looking for real work was really tough.

[itssimplestupid]

56. It's Not About Abortion

It's about power. These "politicians" don't give a rats ass about abortions. The just want to impress the christofascists so they pretend to give a crap.

It' all about power. If they wanted to end abortions it would be pretty easy. Give women that get pregnant options besides grinding poverty..... They don't want the kid because they can't even scrape a living without one.

[RoccoR5955]

57. Under the guidence of Karl Rove no doubt n/t

[okojo]

58. What this article shows to me..

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation knew what they were unleashing with trying to break off their relationship with Planned Parenthood. What is unfathomable is that Nancy Brinker thought she could blatantly lie about it, and feel this would make all things better or the outrage would die down.

The Komen Foundation would had lessen the firestorm a little bit, if they were at least honest that they didn’t want to fund Planned Parenthood. Another problem is that they don’t have an alternative to Planned Parenthood, that is as successful, as using the grants money in the best coverage possible, and helping with early screening and detection of breast cancer for those at the highest risks, poor and uninsured women.

This is far from the Foundation’s first sin. They have been intruded in many areas, which have nothing to do with breast cancer research, with lobbying against health care reform as the most egregious. Their stance toward environmental factors is as obtuse and disingenuous as their lies about cutting off grants to Planned Parenthood.


Here is some free PR advice to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Fire Nancy Brinker, Fire Karen Handel, the board resigns, and a new head, who has a background in Public Health and oncology, along with a board that has specialities in oncology, public health, and a clear intent, not only to find help fight breast cancer, but aim should be to lower breast cancer rates for women, instead of a board that is basically a board of friends of Nancy and probably a captured board. Cut back funding on your 501 (c) 4, restore funding to medical facilities that do Stem Cell Research, fund grants that used stem cell research in the study of cancer.

It is a healthcare foundation, not an opaque political lobbying group as a front as a Healthcare Foundation. These antics have been going on for at least 12 years, and the latest actions was probably the final straw.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

59. Ari traffic control...

[Tx4obama]

62. Feb 6th: UPDATE: Ari Fleischer admits he personally advised Komen CEO on Planned Parenthood

@thinkprogress ThinkProgress
UPDATE: Ari Fleischer admits he personally advised Komen CEO on Planned Parenthood http://t.co/HLdQEwHj #icymi
https://twitter.com/thinkprogress/status/166695196388634624

Read all the details here:
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/02/06/419680/ari-fleischer-admits-he-personally-advised-komen-ceo-on-planned-parenthood/