Komen Gets Goin’ — Reverses Decision To Defund Planned Parenthood. Congressional Investigation Of Planned Parenthood Will Continue, GOP Congressloon Cliff Stearns Pledges
The heat was hot, and the Komen Foundation Board and CEO felt it. Originating largely as an online social network protest, the outcry from Planned Parenthood clients, friends, and boosters caused Komen for the Cure to today rescind its decision to cut funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood health centers. The $700,000 in Komen grants in 2011 funded 170,000 breast exams.
Planned Parenthood thanked its supporters:
Too Hot – Kool & the Gang (1979) “The outpouring of support online for Planned Parenthood and women in need of breast cancer screenings has been nothing short of astonishing. . .”
This “right” is not the rightwing “right,” it’s “right” in the sense of “good,” or “correct,” or “laudable” conduct. If the goal of the rightwing was to gain support or ratification of its ongoing efforts to attack, alienate, isolate, and defund women’s health options, this assault on Planned Parenthood was an utter failure, an embarrassment. That they believed they could do this so openly, and in such a patently dishonest way, will, in the end, do them far more political harm (especially among independent voters) than any short-term harm to Planned Parenthood or to the Komen Foundation. In its news release, Planned Parenthood underscored the rightwing’s self-defeat. Due to the public outcry, they wrote,
“the Planned Parenthood Breast Health Fund has received more than $3 million from thousands of people across the country in only three days.” [Italics added]
Hopefully, this frontal attack on Planned Parenthood, and its defeat, will awaken some of the fence-sitters; the Republican rightwing is waging war against women’s autonomy, trying to reverse the progress so dearly achieved.
Perhaps, too, this episode will light an unpleasant fire under the House investigation being pressed forward with cold determination by Florida’s 6th congressional district 12 term Congressloon Cliff Stearns (R-FL). Among other distinctions, he’s a senior member of the Tea party Caucus. His 22 years of rightwing service garners him a 94.6% rating for congressloonity by The American Conservative Union. Get the picture?
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Stearns refuses to back off. The war drags on. Here’s a portion of his statement, just released:
“As Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I will continue the investigation into Planned Parenthood’s use of taxpayer funds. This oversight is necessary because of its record of fraud discovered through state Medicaid audits and its other abuses and illegal activities, such as ignoring state reporting requirements on sexual abuse.” [For entire statement]
All this determination despite the many other “job creation” activities his party extols, and his subcommittee might pursue. . . and despite this as well from a letter to Stearns by House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Democratic Member September 2011 Henry A. Waxman (D-CA-30) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO-1):
“We are aware of no predicate that would justify this sweeping and invasive request to Planned Parenthood. The HHS Inspector General and state Medicaid programs regularly audit Planned Parenthood and report publicly on their findings. These audits have not identified any pattern of misuse of federal funds, illegal activity, or other abuse that would justify a broad and invasive congressional investigation.” [Italics added; See complete letter here]
Undeterred, and apparently tossing “job creation” rudely aside, Stearns drives on. After all this Komen business, let’s see if the snap-back they experienced will visit Congressloon Stearns’s Planned Parenthood hearings, and put him on the hot seat.
Ahhhh, election years . . .
