I love that Bloomberg got involved in this fight. Yesterday Susan G. Komen apologized for their decision to withdraw funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood.
“We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives,” president and founder Nancy Brinker said in a statement today. “We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.
“Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation,” she added. “We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.”
Also worth noting: Meanwhile, the move spurred a flood of support for Planned Parenthood. The group has received more than $3 million for its breast cancer program since Tuesday. Cyclist Lance Armstrong’s charity group, Livestrong — which has never before donated to the group — became the latest high-profile organization to give money, donating $100,000 to the Planned Parenthood’s cancer services fund. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would keep his pledge announced Thursday to give $250,000 and $1 for every dollar Planned Parenthood raises up to $250,000. Oil tycoon Lee Fikes and his wife also gave the group $250,000, and it raised more than $650,000 from across the country. Indie rock band The Decemberists today pulled its support from the Komen foundation, saying it will now give all its funds to Planned Parenthood’s Breast Health Emergency Fund.
The internet is a powerful place.
