Susan G. Komen's Founder Is Major GOP Donor, Ex-Bush Ambassador

[Skinner]

Tuesday's news that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is ending funding it provided to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings has led to increased scrutiny of Komen's staff, which—as I reported previously—includes a federal lobbyist who pledged to defund Planned Parenthood while campaigning for governor of Georgia.

Komen's founder is pretty conservative, too. Komen CEO Nancy G. Brinker, who founded the foundation in memory of a sister who died from breast cancer, was the chief protocol officer for the United States from 2007 to 2009 under the George W. Bush administration, and before that served as his ambassador to Hungary.

Brinker is also a major Republican donor, and has given more than $175,000 to Republican candidates and the Republican National Committee since 1990, according to donor data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Her late husband, Norman Brinker, was the chairman of Brinker International Restaurants, which owns the chains Chili's, Maggiano's, and Macaroni Grill. Norman Brinker gave more than $440,000 to Republicans between 1990 and his death in 2009.

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/02/komen-founder-republican-donor

[SunsetDreams]

1. Ahh Playing politics with people's lives and well being

Something the GOP does on a daily basis, in this case with Breast Cancer. They care about the life of the unborn more than they do the living.

[RockaFowler]

2. Not of fan of hers - never have been

My husband built their home in Wellington. He hated them then - even more now. She is a fake, plastic woman who has used the memory of her sister to futher her career. She doesn't care about Breast Cancer research. She cares about what makes her look good. And judging by the awful plastic surgery she has - it's not working.

[pbnjay]

3. Just Donated to Planned Parenthood

Just donated to Planned Parenthood NYC. Never did before...used to donate to Susan G Komen. Now the GOP anti sex education, anti women millionaires and billionaires can take care of Susan G. Komen. Good luck with that.

[ashling]

4. The "omen for the cure" thing never felt right - it always felt right

I recall thinking back in 20o7 or 2008, "where did this Komen thing come from? It all seemed odd the way it was suddenly linked with all these corporations and stuff, but the marketing of it was overwhelming and I finally got over my aversion to it. I guess my first impression was not so far off after all. I seriously wondered back then if they didn't deserve more investigation (not in the sense of an official thing) and mow I am not sure the don't require an official investigation to find out who is in cahoots with who and who stands to gain, etc.

[blm]

5. Skinner I've posted many times about Komen over the years. The pink cutesification of breast cancer

as a movement revved up after Matuschka's 1993 NYT magazine cover. It caused a huge national controversy and the RW lined up to vilify her. The political opportunists always looking out for big business really started pouring money into Komen to counter the raw reality approach longtime activists advocated. They also use Komen to protect pharma and to help deny environmental causes for cancer, as they did recently claiming BPA was safe.

Matuschka's photo was nominated for a Pulitzer and named one of the 100 Photos that Changed the World by LIFE magazine who consistently credits Matuschka for jumpstarting the breast cancer movement.


http://www.beautyoutofdamage.com/Aboutphoto.html


BTW...she has also visited DU a number of times. ; )

[Major Hogwash]

6. Wow.

That is incredible. I never saw that photograph before.

[blm]

9. Imagine how RWers reacted to it.

.

[Whisp]

8. thank you blm, I always appreciate and learn from your posts.

[blm]

12. that's very nice of you to say....

and very much appreciated

[countryjake]

13. I hope your friend is still doing well...

all of these yrs. later.

[blm]

14. she is....you can see her work at matuschka.net....incredible artist and photographer

http://www.matuschka.net/FINALBODSGallery.html


Interesting note...when she was young she also happened to model for Salvador Dali.

Matuschka has a million stories wrapped up in her handsome woman package. I hope one day she tells them publicly. ; )

[countryjake]

16. I've already got her page bookmarked...

after you posted her story about the Pulitzer.

I remember that photo well, and I plan to sit here with my man and look at all of her art later on this week...he did not have a good reaction to it at first, all of those years ago, so I look forward to showing him the rest of her wonderful work, now. He's a changed person, considering the shock her photograph sent him into eighteen years ago; now, he keeps one of those tiny pink ribbon thingies stuck to his go-cup when he carries his coffee to work every day, not because of any Komen Foundation, but simply due to the awareness he gained from Matuschka's bravery.

[blm]

19. Exactly. Matuschka jumpstarted breast cancer awareness through her BRAVERY not corporate hush money.

.

[yardwork]

23. Is it a self-portrait? Is that Matuschka herself in the photograph?

It's a beautiful photograph.

[blm]

25. Yes. She is the photographer and model and she even designed the dress.

Look at all the photos and her art - it's amazing.

[yardwork]

26. Thank you for posting this.

[yardwork]

17. I didn't know that Komen was letting the corporations hide from environmental responsibility.

It makes sense now. Help corporations market their products in pink and get good publicity for supporting "the cure" while giving them cover for the environmental damage they cause that leads to cancer.

All while "prettifying" a disease and making it all nice and pink and girly.

It's even worse than I thought. How depressing.

[blm]

20. I know how you feel. I've been trying to clue people in about Komen for years, and it's never

Last edited Thu Oct 9, 2014, 01:58 PM - Edit history (1)

been a happy task. It is actually revolting to me having to share what I know about them and their true purpose, especially to those who have felt so much like they were making a difference to ALL women's lives.

[myrna minx]

21. Thanks for the link. I've received quite an education this week. n/t

[Cognitive_Resonance]

7. "surprise, surprise, surprise" nt

[countryjake]

10. Kick!

[blm]

11. Kicking - I'm so glad more people are waking up about this evil organization.

.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

15. Was her husband, who died 2 yrs ago,

more moderate and more pragmatic than his wife?

Was it primarily money from his restaurants that went into starting up the foundation?

If so, this story makes more sense. The wife may long have been conflicted about funding Planned Parenthood.

Thus the husband's death well may have allowed Mrs. Brinker to abrogate funding for the project clearly most successful in fighting breast cancer, with 4 million cancer exams a year.

It's an old story--death allows radical change in an organization's mission statement.

[yardwork]

24. I read the wiki entry and it looks like the organization changed a lot in 2007.

That's when they changed their name to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and trademarked their brand.

[blm]

28. yep...but, it's always been rightwing and a huge gift to even slimy corporations

.

[Scurrilous]

18. Kick

[ProSense]

22. You know,

this entire deliberate episode screams Bush.

New Komen Foundation policy also refuses funding for embryonic stem cell research
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002258896

[yardwork]

27. Defunding NIH while promoting a private charity that protects corporations from environmental law.

Private charity turns out to be governed by extreme far-right religious ideology. This is everything that is wrong with this country. Everything.

[blm]

29. EXACTLY!!!

.