Who had the worst week in Washington? Karen Handel of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

A week ago, Karen Handel was the senior vice president for public policy at the Susan G. Komen foundation. It was a great gig for the Washington native and 2010 Georgia gubernatorial candidate.

Now she’s unemployed, a casualty of a backlash over Komen’s decision to cut grants to Planned Parenthood.

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Worst Week in Washington

Chris Cillizza grants the award to the Democrat, Republican, West Wing dweller, Capitol Hill insider, K Street dealer, business guru, sports hero, think tank scribblers or other inhabitant of Planet Beltway who experienced the absolute worst week.

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 On Feb. 7, a top official at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation resigned over the controversy involving the charity’s funding for Planned Parenthood. Here’s a look at some of the events that led up to the resignation.

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 Looking back, who has won Chris Cillizza’s worst week in Washington?

When Komen announced this month that it would stop giving Planned Parenthood money for breast cancer screening, Handel’s name wasn’t mentioned, but she was quickly pinpointed by Planned Parenthood supporters as a likely culprit. The former Georgia secretary of state is an outspoken opponent of abortion rights; during her campaign for governor, she pledged to defund the family-planning organization.

In resigning Tuesday, Handel acknowledged advocating that Komen cut Planned Parenthood off but said she was hardly the sole force behind the policy change. Still, she is the only Komen executive to step down. And judging by her resignation letter — in which she mentions a proposed severance package and says, “I respectfully decline” — it was not an entirely amicable departure.

While she may have a bright future in conservative advocacy or punditry, Handel will probably struggle to find employment at another nonpartisan outfit — especially one with Komen’s wide influence.

Komen, meanwhile, reversed its decision and reinstated the Planned Parenthood grants.

Karen Handel, for losing your job by taking the losing side in a major controversy, you had the worst week in Washington. Congrats, or something.

weinerr@washpost.com

Rachel Weiner is a Washington Post political reporter. Have a candidate for the Worst Week in Washington? Chris Cillizza is away, so send your suggestions to outlook@washpost.com.