PLANNED BULLYHOOD

The full, up-close story of the battle between Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Planned Parenthood from the woman at the center of the explosive media firestorm of early 2012, Karen Handel, former SVP of Public Policy at Komen.

For at least a decade, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, had been dealing with the backlash from pro-life conservatives because of its breast health grants with Planned Parenthood, the world’s largest abortion provider. In 2011, the criticism intensified with damaging consequences. Komen Founder and CEO Nancy Brinker, a former Planned Parenthood Board Member and honoree, along with Komen President Liz Thompson and others, were weary of the “pink” being tarnished by PPH’s controversies and wanted Komen out of the middle of the pro-life/abortion debate. Komen made what it thought was a rational, reasonable decision: seek neutral ground in the culture war by severing ties with Planned Parenthood—and in turn, eliminate a major headache while opening a new, robust fundraising channel. Karen Handel, who joined as the organization’s Senior Vice President of Public Policy in April 2011, was tasked with identifying options to disengage from PPH. In November, the Komen management and board decided to move forward. In mid-December, Komen and PPH made a “gentle ladies” pact, agreeing to part ways amicably. Both organizations acknowledged that a media firestorm was in no one’s best interest. Yet, six weeks later, PPH unleashed an attack so vicious and so elegantly executed that one can only conclude that it was premeditated and precisely timed. Waiving the banner of women’s health as a shield for its underlying political agenda, PPH attacked Komen against the backdrop of the Obama Administration’s clash with the Catholic Church over contraception. After just three days, following hysterical cries that “Komen was abandoning women”—fueled by a ferocious social media campaign and blatantly biased mainstream press—Komen capitulated and reversed course. Handel, a lifelong pro-life Republican who was raised Catholic, was immediately made the target. She resigned within days of Komen’s reversal. Liberals called her a right-wing Trojan horse. The pro-life community hailed her as a hero. She insists she is neither. Why did PPH break its word? Was Komen simply a pawn in something bigger? In daring to walk away from PPH, Komen unwittingly ignited a battle in which it became collateral damage in a larger election-year war between liberals and conservatives for the souls (and votes!) of women and the nation’s conscience—with abortion and contraception linked as ultimate wedge issues. Karen Handel is a lifelong conservative who built her career on sound fiscal and organizational management in both the public and private sector. With tremendous perseverance and determination, she has had a successful political and business career. Most recently, Karen served as Senior Vice President of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, overseeing its federal and state policy efforts. She has served as Georgia’s first elected Republican Secretary of State, as well as Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Sonny Perdue.