Susan G. Komen says partnership with gun retailer never existed

Walther P-22 Hope Edition pink handgun

/ Discount Gun Sales

Updated Feb 4, 4:45 a.m. ET

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, in the midst of a controversy for defunding and then restoring its partnership with Planned Parenthood, said Friday reports about a partnership with a gun retailer are wrong.

Business Insider reported Thursday that Discount Gun Sales (DGS), a Seattle-based gun retailer, listed for sale on its website the Walther P-22 "Hope Edition." Hotsheet also reported on the partnership Friday. The retailer claimed the handgun with a pink slide and a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon was meant to raise awareness about a life-threatening predator: cancer.

The website Gothamist wrote that the gun retailer said it had teamed "up with the Susan B. Koman Foundation to offer the Walther P-22 Hope Edition in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month." The organization is named after Susan G. Komen.

But Andrea Radar, a spokesperson for Komen, said Friday they have not partnered with DGS and have "no record of receiving money from this company."

And now, the website link at DGS is no longer working and brings up a grey page on DGS's website that says "access denied!"

A store employee at the gun retailer chain's headquarters in Seattle, who would not give his name, told Hotsheet they took the page down Friday afternoon because of a dramatic increase in interest in the product.

"We removed it due to the inundation of phone calls over an item we do not stock," the employee said.

When asked if they took the webpage down at the insistence of Komen, he said no, and when asked if Discount Gun Sales entered into a partnership with Komen, he said he had "no comment on the particular item at the moment."

But employees at three of DGS' 10 locations said they sold the pink gun. An employee at the Bothell, Washington, store said the guns are "popular" and said he took an order "not too long ago" and that DGS had been selling them for at least two years.

Another employee at a Bellview, Washington, gun store said the store had been taking orders "sporadically." He also said they had been selling the guns since he started working that store a couple of years ago.

The $400 million charity is famous for its marketing prowess and partnerships. The organization has successfully convinced the entire NFL to accent their uniforms with pink during October, breast cancer awareness month. It is difficult to turn around without seeing a pink ribbon on a cereal box or on a car bumper.

Komen came under intense pressure this weekend for severing its partnership with women's health organization Planned Parenthood. Komen has maintained the decision was not political, but after a massive backlash, the organization announced Planned Parenthood would once again be eligible to apply for funding for breast cancer screenings and education. Under the new policy, Komen could still deny future funds to Planned Parenthood.

[noloyalisti]

This is the hypocritical conservative dilemma: falsely claiming to be both pro-life and pro-gun at the same time. But since they are conservatives, everything they say is the opposite. THEN it all makes sense.

[noloyalisti]

Do people know that this "non'profit" pays the right wing wacko Komen $5,000,000. Per YEAR!!

[mountainstates1]

I won't buy any product that Komen Foundation is sponsoring. Their true colors have come out and they're anything but "pink".!

[noloyalisti]

We should change all their ribbons to red. For redneck and blood and death. For women.

[Ben37221]

It is sad that Koman foundation have allowed herself to digenerate to this.I guess that is what happen when you let right wing nuts run things-they destroy it. Look at what they did to global economy. They are self centered and lack reasoning. To inject politics into Koman activities speaks volume of how low these crazy republicans will go.How can the republicans talk about government taking away their right when they see no problem in taking away a woman's right to make her own decision as it relate to their body.These are the same people who cry government take over of health care while at the same time advocating for government to become the uterus police. Where is the liberty in dictating to a woman what to do with her body? These conservative nut-case are willing to destroy life to push their agenda. Why does these so-call conservative have a problem trusting women to make their own decision as it relate to their body?

[Arma_Diller]

Planned Parenthood has their weapon of choice:

vacuum aspiration.

Choice of color = red.

Retails for $300-$950.

[Arma_Diller]

Abortion terrorist...???

[RulesofEngagement]

Gee, Arma_Diller, sounds like you get off on this stuff. sick-o, get out of other ladies panties.

[pinkjava]

http://www.discountgunsales.com/walther-p-22-hope-edition-34-pr-5575.html

[wayne_e_day]

Wonder why CBS News couldn't locate the link. Their hands must start shaking when they start looking at guns....

[sbone82]

Thats the old DGS link saying they teamed up with Komen, the new one says American Cancer Society.
http://www.discountgunsales.com/walther-p-22-hope-edition-pr-5576.html
DGS also posted this link
http://www.discountgunsales.com/SGKF.pdf basically recinding the Komen 'teamup'

[Lindag10]

I think Komen just opened a HUGE can of worms for themselves and things will never be the same for them. It seems like they've made LOTS of people on both sides of the abortion debate really MAD at them.

[sirmarion-2009]

Maybe if more women carried guns there would be less abuse they have to suffer at a boy friend or husbands hands?

[delrepublica]

It's official. Komen is weird.

[MartinGertz]

It is still up. You just have to go through the main page. They changed the url.

http://www.discountgunsales.com/walther-p-22-hope-edition-34-pr-5575.html