Karen Handel, Center of Komen Controversy, Resigns...CEO Next?

Karen Handel, new Susan B. Komen senior vice president of government relations, recruited by former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, and architect of the organization's strategy to defund Planned Parenthood, resigned in disgrace today.  The firestorm of outrage generated by her push to stop funding breast cancer screening for low income women blew up in Handel's face last week, and cost her her job today.  As we've been reporting on over the last week, the Komen Foundation, bowing to political pressures from anti-choice organizations, reverse engineered a new rule to defund affiliate organizations that are "under investigation".  Planned Parenthood, of course, is under continuous "investigation" by far right politicians in Congress, motivated by politics.  Under extreme pressure by donors and the public, Komen reversed its position, apologized, and restored funding to PP.  Too late, I might add.

Today, Handel became a victim of her own defunding strategy, resigning her position at Komen under intense pressure.  In her rambling resignation letter, she acknowledged her role in the decision, contradicting CEO Nancy Brinker, who lied about her role in the decision on MSNBC last week.

We think this is a good first step.  We also believe that, in order to restore trust in the Komen Foundation, and for its survival, that Brinker and those directors who voted for this stupid decision, resign.  Not doing so will keep the cloud that hangs over the organization overshadowing its work and mission.