Yesterday Joe Lieberman drew his own line in the sand on healthcare--it's my way or the highway. Joe Lieberman plans on killing healthcare reform.
Lieberman's wife Hadassah Lieberman, now fasten your seatbelt here, is the global ambassador for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Hadassah doesn't do this work out of the goodness of her heart, she gets paid. Every time Hadassah opens her mouth, she gets paid. Here's Hadassah's page from the Harry Walker Lecture Agency.
It's grotesque, unseemly and sadly "uniquely American", that the wife of the man who is working overtime to kill healthcare, is an "ambassador" for theKomen Foundation.
PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION DEMANDING THAT HADASSAH LIEBERMAN BE REMOVED FROM HER PAID HUMANITARIAN GIG. IT WILL BE DELIVERED TO NANCY BRINKER, THE HEAD OF THE KOMEN FOUNDATION, .
Before I go any further, let me say that I scrimp and save to pay my exorbitant health insurance premiums. I also scrimp and save to give whatever I can to charitable organizations. But I don't want my money paying people like Hadassah Lieberman. So despite the fact that I've given to Komen in the past, I personally won't give them another dime, until and unless they remove Hadassah. I hope you will agree to do this as well.
Contribute instead to all the other breast cancer organizations. Contribute to National Association of Free Clinicsso at the next goddamn Free Clinic they can afford to pay for a portable Mammogram truck like this one, available in Australia.
When Komen dumps Lieberman, then we will all resume donating to them.
And for any of you who think connecting Joe Lieberman's assault on the American people to his wife Hadassah is sexist or inappropriate, you might want to read what Joe Conason has to say about TEAM LIEBERMAN in Salon.
We're also asking the celebrities who represent Komen, to withdraw their support until Lieberman is removed.
Dear friends, you have no idea of the magnitude of the suffering in this nation. We can no longer sit back as people like Joe Lieberman run this country into the ground. We need to forcefully step up and be heard at every bend in the road. Forcing Komen to respond to public pressure would be a huge shot across the bow for the entire political class.
Ellen DeGeneres, Christie Brinkley and Other Komen for the Cure Celebrities Urged to Help Dump Sen. Lieberman’s Spouse
Group Cites Hadassah Lieberman’s Ties to Same Healthcare/ Pharmaceutical Industry that Is Actively Fighting Congressional Healthcare Reform
Aimee Teagarden, Andie MacDowell, Christie Brinkley, Cynthia Nixon, Ellen DeGeneres, Gloria Gaynor, James Denton, James Woods, Jennifer Tilly, John Ondrasik, Kimberly Locke, Marcia Cross, Mimi Rogers, Neil Patrick Harris, Trisha Yearwood, Vida Guerra
Washington DC - - Firedoglake has called on Susan G. Komen for the Cure to dump Hadassah Lieberman as its "Global Ambassador" due to her ties to the same healthcare industry that is actively fighting Congressional healthcare reform. The group also called on prominent Komen celebrity spokespeople, such as Ellen DeGeneres, Andie MacDowell and Christie Brinkley, to lend support in ousting Lieberman.
Hadassah, a former senior counselor for Hill and Knowlton, who specialized in "healthcare and pharmaceutical practices", also worked as a consultant for Pfizer and ALCO. Her husband, Senator Joe Lieberman, has been one of the chief opponents in the US Senate of health reforms that would help prevent millions of women from combating cancer and other serious illnesses, a cause inconsistent with Komen.
"We are asking Ellen DeGeneres, Christie Brinkley and other high-profile celebrities who are associated with Komen to demand that no more money raised for cancer treatment be given to Hadassah Lieberman or any other ex-Pharma/Insurance strategists," said Firedoglake’s Jane Hamsher.
"People who are racing for the cure wouldn’t be racing to pay Hadassah Lieberman money, especially if they knew her ties to the same corporations that are blocking women’s health reforms currently being debated in Congress."
Many of these celebrities have campaigned for Democrats in the past few election cycles, including Jamey Denton, who stumped for Senator John Edwards in Iowa.
Firedoglake launched a petition and sent a formal letter to Komen requesting the group to partways with Lieberman. On Friday, Greg Sargent of the WA Post Plum Line reported that they are keeping her.
Nancy G. Brinker
The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation Headquarters
5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250
Dallas, TX 75244
Dear Ms. Brinker,
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are driving forces in funding breast cancer research. Each year they take in hundreds of millions of dollars from people who want to end the suffering of those who are fighting breast cancer.
How these donations are channeled, therefore, is of great concern to those those who have invested untold amounts of money and support in its work.
It has come to my attention via an article by Joe Conason in Salon that Hadassah Lieberman – wife of Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) – is currently a compensated "Global Ambassador" for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It is widely known, however, that not only has Senator Lieberman been an instrument of obstruction to the kind of health care reform advocated by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, but that Mrs. Lieberman is also a former lobbyist for APCO Associates, which represents the interests of the same major, private health insurance and pharmaceutical companies which Mr. Lieberman seeks to protect.
Mrs. Lieberman’s relationship with Susan G. Komen for the Cure is unethical and misleading. Important and often very personal donations made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to benefit the sick and dying are essentially undermining their intended use. And as Hadassah travels the globe under the banner of Susan G. Komen for the cure, decrying the inadequacies of our health care system and the desperate need to reform it, her husband is at home to kill the reform efforts we so desperately need.
As a three time breast cancer survivor, I call on Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Komen Foundation to ask Hadassah Lieberman to step down as a "Global Ambassador" for the organization in light of the inherent conflict of interest her continued presence brings. It is counterproductive not only to Susan G. Komen for the cure’s positions and goals, but is also unfair to the millions of families that depend on its work.
Sincerely,
Jane Hamsher
Please join me in calling on the Susan G. Komen for the Cure to ask Hadassah Lieberman to step down by signing the petition.
"Donations to find a cure for cancer should not be used to pay the salary of former insurance and drug lobbyist Hadassah Lieberman, wife of Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who is pledging to kill health care reform while millions go untreated.
Sign our letter to Susan G. Komen for the cure:
"I call for Susan G. Komen for the cure to ask Hadassah Lieberman to step down as a compensated "Global Ambassador" for the organization in light of the inherent conflict of interest her continued presence brings."