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(photo: michaelhyman300/flickr)
In addition to asking supporters what they think of Komen…
The 20-minute questionnaire first asks a series of questions to determine how favorably people feel about Komen now and how likely they are to donate to it, as compared to the American Cancer Society, Planned Parenthood and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
It then launches into a series of questions about messaging: Did you read the media stories about Komen defunding Planned Parenthood? Which parts of certain passages most affected your opinion of Komen? Are you upset with the organization as a whole, or a few individuals? Was the decision about political ideology?
the survey also suggests a list of personalities who might be engaged by the Foundation to assist them in conveying their message (of apology? of change? unclear) to the public. I found this list uncommonly hysterical and wanted to share it with you. Nothing better demonstrates how out of touch Mark Penn is, even on this issue.
Note that respondents could rate the names Very credible, Somewhat credible, Not very credible, Not credible at all, or Don’t know:
Spokesperson from Susan G Komen For the Cure
Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader
Breast Cancer Survivor
Sheryl Crow
A member of Congress
Suzanne Somers
Christina Applegate
Former President Bill Clinton
Ellen DeGeneres
People who participate in Susan G Komen for the Cure walks or races
Giuliana Rancic
Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City
Nancy Brinker, Susan G Komen for the Cure CEO
Melissa Etheridge
Dorothy Hamill
Eric P Winer, MD, Director of Breast Oncology Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Sandra Day O’Connor, former Supreme Court Justice
Former President George H W Bush
Neil Patrick Harris
Lance Armstrong
Now, I have my own idea how this list got generated, in that it’s not in alphabetical order and seems pretty stream-of-consciousness.
– scene, PSB conference room, during list-making brainstorm session, after lunch is delivered –
PSB underling: “Ooooh, ooh! Giuliana Rancic from E! just had treatment, she’d be great!”
(Inattentive Mark Penn): “[Chomp, Chomp] Who? Rudy Giuliani? What?”
underling (raises voice): “No, I said Giuliana Rancic — but Rudy would be great, too, Mark! Great idea! Super!”
mid-level account manager: “Oh, wait, we’d better put Nancy Brinker on the list, she’s paying this bill, even though they should never ever use her.”
– and: scene –
Who do you think is most ludicrous on this list? And why do you think people pay Mark Penn any money for anything, ever?
54 Comments
I suppose if Tom Daschle has cleared up his tax problems, the reason he had to withdraw as HHS Secretary for Obama, he would work. Or, you know, NOT.
Recommended. Do these semi-celebrities want to be associated with a phony charity. Komen defends the KochRoach Brothers pollution. Komen exploits cancer patients, cancer treatment as a business. And someone said Komen brought lawsuits against anyone using the brand “for the cure.
It seems there are many more issues that are being learned about this charity, that does very little charity. So yes, Mark Penn bring on your celebrity shills. Did not Mark Penn also sell us several wars, with generous funding from taxpayers?
Most ludicrous Mark Penn, and Penn is also a co-founder of that other phony Dee Cee shill group CREW. It is a small Dee Cee web of mutual corruption. Melanie Sloan of CREW, supported privatized colleges and attacked Rep Maxine Waters, with spymaster Porter Goss’ help. And so it goes…
Most ludicrous seems to be a 3 way between Daschle, Rudy Giuliani, GHW Bush though Bill Clinton is just on the outside of this group.
“Member of Congress” is probably meant to be someone like Boehner or Cantor or Paul Ryan
As to why Mark Penn? He probably has some pictures of folks hidden away somewhere
I’m sure Neil Patrick Harris, who has twin sons with his husband, would be a choice enthusiastically welcomed by the righties who pressed Komen to dump PP.
Clearly Rudy.
Only thing worse would be Newt.
Although I would like to see the “three-way” proposed by dakine.
Melanie Sloan used to be featured on Al Franken’s Air America show — a lot!
Based on that, I thought she was a “good guy” — until I learned otherwise.
Never knew about the Penn connection!
Yes, a member of Congress, right at the top of my list. not.
Ewww. Brain bleach, stat!
Brinker: “OK, we’ve shot ourselves in the foot. Now what do we do?”
Flunky: “Let’s shoot ourselves in the other foot, so we don’t have to limp.”
Brinker: “Good idea. Get me Mark Penn . . .”
I’m a big fan of the FDL Book Salons, and Mark Penn is a legend in that regard. No author has ever bailed as quickly as Mark, nor ducked as many questions in so short a time.
Melanie Sloan’s attacks on Maxine Waters have been despicable.
I know, isn’t that absurd? Is there a group less popular in America? I don’t think so.
to be honest, there’s no way this reputation can be fixed
While we may all have a chuckle at this the reality is mark penn and his ilk are the people who get politicians and potus elected. And while this little gem may have made it to the media, trust me this is how they think and for the most part it works.
You know when Obama for example had Oprah turn out for him, or Will I Am or Bill clinton. Yeh we may all chuckle but the laugh is on us because it worked and works.
The only difference is their how to “brainwash” the masses strategy was not leaked
That was a fun day.
I don’t think people can even recall the hope, and the concomitant inevitability, of Hillary’s campaign in January 2007, when she made her “I’m in!” video from the sunny yellow Chappaqua sunroom. The idea that any one could blow that lead and lose on the mechanicals, for someone so institutionally embedded in the party and its operatives, is really extraordinary.
I don’t know how Democratic political operatives’ reputations are maintained — how they manage to stay on people’s rolodexes after not just crushing defeats but major snatches from the jaws of victory — but the campaign manager Bob Schrum used to be the perfect example. Loser all the way, and still consulted and asked to manage things for otherwise really intelligent people.
But Penn has eclipsed that. He is in a class by himself. And yet! People like Brinker still call on him, and pay him lots of money. Lots.
Here’s the question Jane posed to Mark Penn in his Book Salon chat here at FDL. Reading it today makes me wonder even more about who thought Mark Penn would be a good consultant to hire.
Let the record show that Penn never answered Jane.
He’s a legend in his own mind.
Err . . .
A legend that will last a lunchtime.
Err . . .
Teddy P, I’m not sure when it was I started shedding tears and shitting bricks.
But by the time I got to the list, I had to change clothes and shower off.
Still not sure about reading this a second time, dinner here is my black bean chili over toast with eggs. There just MIGHT be too much gas makin ingredients in it all.
Damn, when yer good, yer good.
I just can’t comment on the list, they is all so bad and so is Komen.
I mean, the fact that ANY sthoopid red state phool thinks this shit for brains org can be saved is beyond my pale.
N Penn? I liked him better in Shanghai with his wife.
;-)
Speaking of Penn, I bet Teller don’t know he’s doing this kind of black magic.
Still cryin n LMBO n can’t control either.
More merlot. methinks, for this one.
LeSigh. ;-)
Not even by Dorothy Hamill? Or Christina Applegate?
Dubya, Neil, Marvin and JEB should be on the list.
Well, Neil for sure. He’s the sexually active Bush.
LOL I am not sure i even understanding that. Is he saying that because there are twice as many gay men as women, the result is there are less straight men than women, hence why 20 million are single?
For real that is his conclusion
*fightsofftears*
*fightsoffflatuence*
*swipesatrccd*
Barely makes it.
;-)
*sendsbillforkeyboard*
Which, to me, shows how bad this work by Penn is. He’s floating names, some of whom had their own health crises (like Applegate). But Komen’s problem isn’t a health crisis, and Applegate’s credibility and goodwill can’t really be applied to this problem of Komen’s.
Neither can Rudi’s, if he has any.
It is a truly funny list.
With regard to the topic of women’s health care, I’d say that the legislature of the great state of Virginia has Congress beat.
The “bed” simply will not be “unshit”
Why would you want to. Destroying Komen seems laudable on the surface.
In my opinion the most ludicrous is probably sexist testicular cancer survivor Lance Armstrong but then who their spokesperson will be is much less relevant to my possible future support than the presence of Nancy Brinker. Until she is gone, it’s just another right wing organization dedicated to returning women to the status of chattel and breeding machines.
Re-reading the list of proposed spokespeople, one name seems to me to have been left off: Lanny Davis.
Lance Armstrong story has always struck me as ridiculous on the surface. I have no evidence whatsoever, just struck by complete implausibility of every aspect of it, plus the hero worship accompanying it.
YMMV.
And the late Sue Komen spins afresh in her grave.
I’d like to see them use Frothy.
No one. Komen is revealed. It has spent millions to kill health care for all and has no info what so ever about finding a cure. It serves as a shield to polluting industry and the cancer biz that will never allow a cure and insists that a women’s body turns into a cancer machine as it ages.. Only a fool would give them the time of day.
Do you know a lot about her?
What I’m getting at is whether she was genuine or just another person trying to exploit bleeding hearts.
I have no opinion on Sue Komens. Just asking.
When “thinking outside the box” goes wrong.
A few I can’t believe they missed:
Henry Winkler
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Tony Blair
Danica Patrick
Meryl Streep
Alan Alda
srsly!
LOL it seems you have hit upon something. Maybe you should start a non profit called “why no cure for x, y, or z” because if that not the truth how is it there is no cure for almost any disease.
Only thing I would add is don’t blame komen or anyone for where they started that was all they knew at the time. they were trapped within the box. seems you can see it clearly. so get it going and and send me a link I will sign up and support
The groupthink is astonishing, but shoul
dn’t be, by now, I suppose.
My opinion of why Komen would choose Mark Penn is that they simply stick to the circle of people they know. They don’t ask themselves whether the people they already know, or know of, are competent, whether they did a good job for their last client, or any of the things most of us would ask about competence when hiring a professional for something.
They simply go for the people in the circle, and so the same names keep coming up, again and again.
And no way is Komen, which really “is” Nancy Brinker, going to conclude that the only way to regain credibility is to get rid of Nancy Brinker.
Nor that the self-inflicted catastrophe is not fixable. In their world, everything is fixable. Just spend enough money, get the right front person…et voila!
I recommend Bean-O
John Edwards
Snooki
Probably busy representing some despot or another.
My understanding is that Susan died from breast cancer after a lot of suffering. her sister nancy started Komen so that breast cancer which was mainly ignored would no longer be.
When she nancy started it there was little attention on the issue and certainly zip support.
We may all laugh at the mess she has made right now, but we can not ignore how she made this issue a national and international issue.
Not sure what anyone else here has done to force issues pushed under the rug into the mainstream? But it seems we all love to throw rocks when we can.
—–> corner
After all the sewage that spewed from Virginia this week, coupled with the putrid discussions from the Republican candidates over the last two weeks I think all respectful men should step aside and defer to all the women around them. Don’t say a word, simply bow down and let us do the talking. All melanin challenged folks, don’t talk about POC issues, just listen. Now this needs to start with Penn and the rest of the idiots who pay him for a questionnaire.
I also in view of the on-going BS don’t see how K can survive. Every time you turn around they are pulling some new shit like Virginia and so keeping it in the spotlight. Just look how long thi shas been going on!
I went to that book salon thread, but I can’t follow it, because a whole lot of names are missing. I can’t tell who’s talking.
Great musical chairs analogy. Not only does it brand single women as losers in a child’s game but it also shows men as inanimate objects that just stick with whatever woman sits on them when the music stops. I love when a-hats accidentally show their totally dysfunctional view of relationships.
Komen proved it has no principles. It’s dead to me and mine.
As we all know no spokesperson is going to save Komen’s bacon. For me, they should get Jenny McCarthy to tag team Suzanne Summers if they want to be ridiculous, and I wouldn’t put it past Penn to be that stupid and that condescending and that insulting.
If Komen is to be revived, they need to scrap most if not all of their Board, lose every major officer, and bring in people who have shown themselves to be incorruptible to run the thing – not be spokespuppet. An Almost impossible job I think, as the first person who comes to my mind is Jimmy Carter and the first person who might come to a religious moron would probably be Franklin Graham.
And I should add that I wouldn’t trust Franklin Graham as far as could throw him with only a pinky finger.
For years we bought pink ribbons hoping to help in some small way; but now we find not only the travesty with Planned Parenthood, but that they are using our money to purchase expensive consulting firms. Never, never again. They are completely finished as far as I am concerned. This abuse of trust cannot be repaired.
Komen deserves to disappear. It uses 85% of its revenue for administration, that is, paying people and advertizing itself. Bah!
I have a pink coffee thermos thingy and was bummed til I saw it’s pink ribbon is for “Breast Cancer Research Foundation” and so I googled pink ribbon and found that (though the MFers tried to copyright it) generic pink ribbons represent breast cancer research/awareness. Bring on the pink (the baby), dump Komen (the filty bathwater).
….represent breast cancer research/awareness, NOT KOMEN.