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Fiorina joins U.S. Senate race, promises jobs
November 4th, 2009, 12:11 pm · 71 Comments · posted by Martin Wisckol, Politics reporter
Updated with reaction from Chuck DeVore and video of Carly Fiorina’s Garden Grove appearance.
Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina stopped in Garden Grove this morning to announce her candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Barbara Boxer.
"After chemotherapy, Barbara Boxer just isn't that scary," Fiorina said.
And while the Republican touted job creation as her top priority, she also defended herself from criticism that Hewlett-Packard had eliminated some jobs and sent others overseas while she was chief there.
“The truth is that we were taking Hewlett-Packard through tough times and we had to make tough decisions,” Fiorina told reporters after announcing her candidacy and holding a town-hall meeting at the Garden Grove plant of Earth Friendly Products. The company makes the nation’s best-selling environment-friendly laundry detergent.
Fiorina said that there was a net gain in jobs over her six-year tenure. She complained that “government policy can kill jobs” and force employers to seek workers abroad. She also painted her 2005 firing as the outfall from backroom politics at the company.
“My firing from Hewlett-Packard came when a couple of board members leaked information to the press,” she told about 200 supporters and Earth Friendly workers at the town hall. “I am extremely proud of my record at HP. … Part of my satisfaction is seeing how well HP is doing now.”
A Field Poll last month showed Fiorina running neck and neck for the GOP nomination with Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine. More than half of Republican voters remained undecided.
The poll also showed that 17-year incumbent Boxer led Fiorina 49 percent to 35 percent, and led DeVore 50 percent to 33 percent.
While DeVore began campaigning early in the year - and made up a significant gap behind Fiorina in the polls – the businesswoman has spent much of the year battling breast cancer. While she sported close-cropped gray hair Wednesday, she appeared lively and healthy.
“Breast cancer is officially behind me and I’m doing great,” she said, noting that she’d undergone surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Fiorina vowed to bridge the divide of partisanship, which could be a signal that she’ll be poised as a moderate in the primary against DeVore, a hero to many conservatives. She said she supports gay couples having the same rights as married heterosexuals, but doesn’t back gay marriage. She’s also said she’s “personally” opposed to abortion, leaving open what her public position will be.
Fiorina portrayed Congress as a place of talk and no action, of fiscal waster, of “rabid partisanship,” and of backroom deals. And she portrayed Boxer as part of the problem, and as someone more interested in writing novels than in passing legislation.
“I can take a punch and I can throw a punch,” Fiorina said after noting that she expected a tough campaign from Boxer. “I will put my record of accomplishment against hers any day.”
In terms of job creation, she said she would focus on encouraging innovative small businesses. Taxes should not be raised on small business, they should have better access to credit, and there should be an overhaul of regulations on businesses, she said.
DeVore said he welcomed Fiorina’s entry into the race for two reasons.
“First, I think it will bring quite a bit more attention to the primary and secondly, I’m looking forward to having a good debate over which direction the Republican Party is going,” said DeVore, who on Tuesday received an endorsement from prominent conservative Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina.
Exemplifying that difference, he said, is his opposition to the federal bailout of Wall Street. He noted that Fiorina was the chief financial advisor to John McCain’s presidential campaign when he embraced the bailout.
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Eric Schultz this morning fired a shot at Fiorina even before she’d made her announcement, and gave a preview of the attacks she’s going to be facing in the campaign.
“The hallmark of Carly Fiorina’s resume is her tenure at Hewlett-Packard where she laid-off 28,000 Americans while shipping jobs overseas – just before taking a $21 million golden parachute,” he said. “Given that record, the United States Senate is the last place Carly Fiorina should go next.
“Fiorina’s political debut has generated serious questions over her nonexistent voting record, an atrocious tenure at Hewlett-Packard… Given how well her debut went, the rest of her campaign should be equally entertaining.”
The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that Fiorina voted in just 5 of 18 elections since registering to vote in Santa Clara County in 2000, and she has acknowledged that she hasn’t participated in voting as much as she should have.
You can read Fiorina’s essay in today’s Register, “Why I’m running for Senate,” if you click here.
And you can click here for more background on the race, including last month’s polling numbers for Fiorina, DeVore and Boxer.
Register photos of Fiorina at this morning’s event are by Jebb Harris.
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DENA BUNIS, Washington bureau chief, 202-628-6381 or dbunis@ocregister.com
CHRIS KNAP, Politics team leader, 714-796-2240 or cknap@ocregister.com
BRIAN JOSEPH, Sacramento correspondent, 916-449-6046 or bjoseph@ocregister.com
JENNIFER MUIR, County government reporter, 714-796-7813 or jmuir@ocregister.com
MARTIN WISCKOL, Politics reporter, 714-285-2867 or mwisckol@ocregister.com twitter.com/MartinWisckol
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like shes got a shot. i’d rather have bugs bunny.
I like her. She’ll make a great candidate. I’ll vote for her.
sure go ahead you deserved
formerdem-
You already have bugs bunny. If you vote to send Barbarta Boxer back to Washington, you are part of the problem, my friend.
exactly. how much longer can we allow Boxer to keep the keys to the castle? she should have been ousted a decade ago, if not earlier…
Can you explain specifically why? “Because she’s a liberal” just won’t do.
How ’bout because she’s committed to slamming through Legislation which is not only NOT necessary, but will end up hamstringing the entire Nation for generations.
And she’s willing to go through the “back door” to get what she wants, no matter how skeevy a practice that is.
Tell you what….
You can STILL call her “Senator” after she’s (hopefully) tossed out on her rear-end. That should make both of you very happy.
Ah yes, the three witches of the Birnham Woods (Babs, Diane and Nancy), two of whom are up for re-election in 2010. Trust me, I’ll be pushing as hard as I can to see that Babs and Nancy take early retirement!
Personally, I’m backing Devore for Senate. He gets top marks for defending the entire bill of rights and has a good head on his shoulders regarding hot-button issues. I wish Fiorina luck, but come the primary, I know which way I want to jump.
“three witches”…more like the THREE STOOGES!
Here we are living in the richest state in the Union, in the richest country on the planet and what are we doing? Borrowing money from the Chicoms so Americans can continue to buy MADE IN CHINA merchandise.
And Americans wonder why they can’t find a job while driving foreign vehicles, using foreign made electronics including computers, cell phones and televisions and wearing foreign made clothing…HELLO?
Is there ANYTHING in your home or garage that is MADE IN USA?
We have enough oil, natural gas & coal to fulfill our energy needs for the next 300 years and I won’t even get into the nuclear energy possibilities where we could be building offshore cogeneration nuclear power plants would supply us with all the water and electricity we would need indefinitley.
But, we continue to fund the War on Terror on BOTH ENDS every time we fill up at the local gas station.
Forrest Gump said it best…”Stupid is as stupid does.”
philli6161 wrote:
It’s exciting for me having lived with my family in the Bakersfield area to consider the candidacy of a bright, tough, compassionate leader, Carly Fiorina. The great San Joaquin valley has been held hostage by water regulations that make little if any sense. Many of my friends in the Fresno area are experiencing forty percent unemployment and loss of jobs.
The current administration in Washington D.C. plays the radical and dangerous game of setting wrong priorities. Health care, cap and trade, weak defense policies, all serve to keep our eye off the ball. The problem which is being ignored in Washington by the administration and Senators like Barbara Boxer is the dismal economy and a lack of effort to restore or create jobs. Month after month we hear on network news the recitation of more job loss numbers.
California needs someone who is a person of action with a plan for economic growth. Carly Fiorina thinks outside the box and Californians will learn quickly that she will bring jobs and economic growth to this great state in weeks not years. It is great news for my wife Mary Beth, myself and our California friends to have the possibility of this incredible woman of action available for political service. She will once again put California on the map as a place of progress, jobs, and compassion for others. A vote for Carly will be a vote for increasing jobs for all.
Wrong. She believes in AGW and cap and trade. She is like the rest.
Hey, sounds like a Carly staffer to me - so obvious. Beware Fiorina. DeVore’s the man. Give voters of California a clear choice not Dem-lite. I will never vote for a McCain BFF.
The only jobs Fiofina will create is for the outsource companies in India, just like she did while running HP.
What we do not need is another woman from the Bay area misrepresenting us in Washington D.C. It is time to turn our heads away from the leaders in both parties. My vote is for Devore , a person who has consistently paid attention to the issues important to all Californians.
She’s a republican, right???
Has anybody taken the time to ask her ‘what’s up with the haircut?” yet?
Not your typical conservative style for a woman.
Is she truly a cancer survivor who recently underwent chemo or is she making a statement??? Which is it???
And if she is fighting cancer why the heck would she run for office, undergo all that stress and increase the chance of a recurrence??
Does anyone have an answer for me??
I heard she’s going for the 2016 olympics in swimming
Hate much?
Try reading the article OCO. She is recovering from Breast Cancer treatment. You don’t observe very well, do you?
boxer & fientstein are both a disgrace to california!
ocobserver-
Of all the things to be concerned about in this state and country, a hairstyle is what you are concerned about? That is exactly how Boxer,Feinstein, the Sanchez thieves and Pelosi keep getting elected. Try keeping your eye on the ball, not the shiny objects.
In my experience women who wear their hair in that fashion are a bunch of left wing nuts and hard core feminists. As a voter I have a right to know why Fiorina styles her hair like that. What statement is she making?? If these people run for office they have to come clean. Don’t hide something and make us sniff it out. That’s not a good strategy. It can only backfire. Fess up, Carly. What’s up with the hair style???
you must have very limited experience
Are you freaking serious, ocobserver?
She’s dealing with cancer. Her hair fell out. What more of an explanation do you need?
And who freaking cares about her hair style? What is this, high school?
Try, if you can, to keep your mind focused on the topic at hand.
If you had bothered to actually read the article, you would find that she has completed breast cancer treatment and getting back into the swing of things. Back to Walmart for you OCO.
sanchez & sanchez are also a disgrace to california!
All republicans are a disgrace to California
All republicans are a disgrace to California????
I am not a right winger, but you are very blind.
The left have controlled this state for five decades brainstorm.
A token Republican Gov doesn’t have a chance. Especially a “Kennedy” claiming to be a Republican.
Fiornia is recovering from breast cancer. hence the haircut.
Oh, okay. Now it answers that question. Thanks.
But why would she want all that stress of running for office and risk a recurrence??? I’m sorry that she has to battle such a demon and I hope her a full recovery, but voters should be wary of electing a woman who is fighting breast cancer. Being a senator requires lots of energy so she can do the people’s work. Fighting cancer is a full time job. And it drains it’s victims. Maybe she should rethink her run.
I’m curious about all the noise made over voting records. Why don’t the candidates just come out and say it: “I didn’t vote because there was no one running that I felt deserved my vote!”
Why do we “HAVE” to vote when our choice boils down to the lesser of two (or more) evils? To say we have a voice in picking the candidates is a bad joke: they are chosed by the PARTY based on how well they will OBEY the party. Voters have little, if anything to do with it.
There was a petition circulating a while back that would allow a “None of the Above” choice on the ballot. I thought it was funny until I did the math. The petition failed to get enough signatures, but it would have been interesting.
actually a great point. none of the above indeed! (reminds me of “Brewster’s Millions”, good movie with Richard Pryor)
She ran HP into the ground. Maybe she’ll do the same for CA….. oops, too late.
If you want another cold-hearted billionaire who will slash jobs and services, and has no clue what life is like for the middle class, Fiorina should be your choice
as opposed to a clueless bleeding heart moonbat.
hello, we NEED someone to slash services and cut the fat in our state government… common sense at all? how does anyone living in California NOT get that by now?
bpsqwerty: EXACTLY. STOP with all the bleeding heart entitlement programs which are KILLING this State.
California has the EIGHTH LARGEST economy in the WORLD. And yet….we’re bankrupt! How the *ELL does that happen?
I’ll tell you how….
We’re ALSO the #1 State in the Nation for Illegal immigrants to make their residence.
These two statistical facts are NOT a coincidence.
This is just another self-absorbed, business elitist who, once they have reached a certain height of seniority in the business world, move onto the next level of nobility/titleship ~ politics! It happens all the time. Look at the former heads of business who then move into the next level of royalty (in their own minds) ~ former heads of Goldman Sachs - Henry Paulson went on to be Chief of the Treasury, John Corzine went on to become Gov. of New Jersey (was just defeated, AMEN!); Roland Arnall - founder of Ameriquest Mortgage - bought an ambassadorship to the Netherlands………..the list goes on and on!!! And let’s not forget that Fiorina left HP in disgrace……..although not in her mind. When are we ever going to see these elitists, who believe themselves to be beyond reproach, for the pompous a$$e$ they are, ????
well I’d rather have her in office than Boxer, Feinstein, OR the eBay woman (Whitman).
http://www.plusaf.com/letters/hp/carly.htm
And you people would trust a person that said this… “Americans no longer have a God given right to a job” as she layed off all of those people at HP and shipped their jobs to India and China? She is a traitor in the purest form.
Demoncrats are Liars and Thieves, too, or are you just missing the boat here?
Hey, RALaT:
She’s RIGHT! We DON’T have a God given right to a job! You WANT it? You’d better danged well FIGHT FOR IT! WORK FOR IT! And do whatever you can to KEEP IT! PERIOD.
Rather than sitting back and waiting for your ENTITLEMENT to kick in! Laziness and that disgusting, Progressive Liberal attitude of thinking that we all need to be “taken care of” is what has led us to this crossroads.
Best to get BACK to what BUILT this great Nation in the first place:
DRIVE
AMBITION
PERSONAL REPSONSIBILITY
Quit waiting for someone to GIVE you the job you’re ENTITLED to, or to “save” your job for you.
This clown belongs in a circus, not politics. She nearly ruined HP and now she wants to venture into politics? I don’t think so. With her hairdo, she looks like she would be a good candidate for city council in San Francisco!
To replace Boxer, the best man for the job isn’t a woman. Fiorina is suspect being from the Bay Area with its liberal mindset. California needs an experienced legislator and a conservative from Southern California to balance Feinstein’s liberal leanings also from the Bay Area. Enough of politicians from the San Francisco environs.
You people are all missing the point. If you don’t want to vote for her don’t . There will be other candidates. The point is, this state has got to get rid of the mindless, egotistical thieves that have put this state and country in the mess that it is in. Boxer, Feinstein, the Sanchez thieves and Pelosi had their chance and have totally screwed you. Why, in God’s
name would anyone vote for them again? Do you like the way you are being taxed to death in California? Do like the outlook for the future of this state? This place is a mess and they created it. Why would you put them back on the job. If you don’t like Fiorini, don’t vote for her but, find someone other than the people that are there now. If you vote for an incumbant, you are part of the problem.
Boxer, Feinstein Pelosi dont have crap to do with CALIFORNIA tax rates, they are part of the federal government. When you failed civics Shemp did you just not take that course again or are you really just that uneducated.
You are correct!
The dirtbag liberal state assembly has run this state to the ground for five decades!!! The welfare party will continue to ruin this state, but you can blame the Republican’s.
I vote libertarian. Because not everyone can be on welfare!!!!
Chuck has paid his dues. He has a good record. We know what we’re getting with Chuck. No surprises.
I served with Chuck in the military, he’s a straight shooter.
We know nothing about Carly Fiorina’s politics.
Repubsandtherestofthatnonsenseyoucallyourself-
I understand how it works and THEY are part of the problem of this state. They represent this state and all the things wrong about it. Please don’t tell me for one second that you are in favor of any of these people returning to Washington.. Name 1 good thing that any of them has done to represent the people of California. Just 1. This is exactly the kind of nonsense that keeps this state in the mess that it is in. Go ahead, name 1 positive thing that Boxer, Feinstein, either one of the Sanchez’s or Pelosi has done that is positive. 1. Just 1.
Actually its not nonsense that I use for my screen name its the plain and ugly truth, sorry you cant handle it. But the point is without their help many projects important to our community would not exist. C-17, Seal Beach Naval weapons staion, highway projects and the list could go on. But just like all loud right wingers it is a waste of my valuble life to try to explain that to you. So cheer up. the republic party is drawing its last breaths as you repeat their tallking points and all will be good when they are finaly gone.
If you want Plain and Ugly Truth then you should change it to Demoncrats & Republicans Are Liars and Thieves. You are just polarized to what you want to believe. And seriously dishonest about your honesty.
Repubnonsense-
Good luck to you with that and God help the people of this state when we have voters and non thinkers like you and your nonsense.
A no vote for Fiorina. It is unexcusable and unforgivable to not vote. It is every citizens civic duty. Period. It’s our most sacred right and responsibility. If Firorina could not find the time to do her civic duty then I cannot find the time to vote for her. I will be exercising my right to vote but not for Firorina.
What is with all of the CEOs trying to get government jobs? CEOs are the bane of society. They make obscene amounts. Corporations are ruining this country. Go back to the private sector, where a bribe can be overlooked.
Seriously, anybody who thinks that the government should be run like a business has never worked for a large corporation.
I think she is a person that has done a lot of things in her life. She worked her way up in business, lost her daughter last year and is a cancer survivor. This I salute her for, but somehow I think this senate race is more of a last trophy for her then representing the people of California. Her voting record is terrible and she has never attempted to run for office as far as I know. My vote is still on Chuck DeVore.
When you consider the damage that the Cult of the CEO does to business in the world, maybe we should think twice. The whole cult culture of CEO’s is to make money for themselves and forget the health of the company.
We need a law that allows any one person to be a CEO (or any kind of OODEP) for no more than 3 companies over 25 years. The way they roll around from one thing to another getting unearned bonus and income is a disgrace.
Fiorina acts only for the members of the elite class in this country. She has no sympathy for working and middle-class families. All you have to do is study her actions while she was CEO of HP. She increased the salaries of the top executives, lowered the number of workers, cut worker pay and benefits, increased low-wage part-time outsourced workers, and sent jobs overseas.
And, while HP workers with decades of service were made to suffer by Fiorina, she lived a lavish life in the executive suite and jetted about the world in new company jets.
You might think that she is the type that we need to bring business back to California. Right, if you like working part-time without benefits for Manpower Inc. Fiorina is another elitist who sees her purpose in life as making sure that money in this country goes to the top and stays there. It’s worse than trickle-down economics. Fiorina wants you to have nothing while she and her kind have it all.
I heard Fiorina on the radio today talking about immigration. No new ideas. She said secure the borders but that she wants a robust temporary workers program. Carly, the problem is that it’s NEVER TEMPORARY!!! THEY NEVER GO HOME!!! DON’T YOU GET IT YET??? She didn’t even mention if she’s against amnesty, which basically means that she’s for it!!!
I don’t trust her on immigration. She sounds like Di-Fi Feinstein!!!!
Looks like I’ll have to hold my nose and vote for Devore!
‘robust temporary workers program’ is code for; Let’s lower American Wages.
First they don’t enforce laws so low wage workers come in without protection American workers have.
Then when Americans complain, ( R ) Carly Fiorina says; oh let’s enforce the laws now, but we must have a ‘ Robust Temporary Worker Program ! Of course, to Permanently lower Your Wages and Your Quality of Life! And to Line the Pockets of Business Owners and Business Leaders! Like Carly Fiorina…of course.
These Politicians ( Both Democrat and Republican ) can’t just say; oh we want to lower American worker’s wages; We need a temporary worker program to do this. So they ignore the Law, allow millions of low wage unprotected workers come in, then after gorging themselves on the fat and sweat of wage slaves, NOW let’s do something about that porous boarder, but while Americans are distracted by the violence and confusion at the boarder, they sneak in the temporary worker program and continue to skim the cream of productivity while continuing to lower wages for workers and they have the nerve to claim they did something about the lawlessness. Please My Fellow Americans, it is time we all pay closer attention to what is being said and what is not being said in Government.
I am not the biggest fan of Boxer, but I will vote for her over Fiorina any day.
Carly is not qualified. She just has tons of money and it seems that is all it takes to get into public office in the USA.
How bad do you have to be for a company to give you millions of dollars to leave? ‘ here are millions of dollars, now Please go’ ……
Oh it was just politics? And what is this your trying to get involved in?
What, Exactly does she have in common with the average American trying to make ends meet, and loosing ground everyday? She is a over paid Big Business Republican who will wont Represent the Average American, the interests of Big International Business will be the beneficiaries with ( R ) Carly Fiorina in office.
Big factor/influence on both sides is candidates who can self-fund. I guess Carly figured since she can’t get a real job anymore, she’ll opt for a government job. Why not? Just look at all the state politicians who are losers and are never held accountable. She’ll get a fabulous health care plan, too, which we all get to pay for. That alone should deter people from voting for her. For the life of me I can’t understand how she thinks she can win.
Vote for Fiorina, and all of you will end up in welfare.
Fiorina is not a human being ( she dress like) But she is a creature who BK HP
She is an incompetent hard core femenist.
HP’s stock dropped to half under her watch during the Internet bust. Understandable. The real problem is other high-tech companies rebounded while HP continued to flounder for years. The HP acquisiton of Compaq was a fiasco. Her accomplishments are way, way overstated. That is why she was fired. Stay away from her.
jobs overseas like she did with HP
we did people that will work to solve the problens and not a quitter like Devore, that is what happened in solving the state budget is that Devore did not want to work with anyone but he just quit and we do not need any quitters, he is weak and fiorina likes to displace workers overseas
we need people that will stay and work to solve the problens and not have a quitter like devore and another that displaces workers here and then places jobs overseas
DeVore is hardly a quitter. He is one of the few assemblymen that took a stand against the Democratic majority assembly. When a few Republicans caved in and voted for the tax increase he openly criticized them for voting against their own tax pledge not to raise taxes. That sounds like a person that keeps his word not a quitter.
Ms Fiorina is yet another example of corporate socialism run amok in America…viewing government as a partner..usually in crimes…
Unfortunately most of America and California have chosen to worship at the altar of the State..as benefactor and provider…….and pitch individual responsibility and accountability in the dustbin.
The Republican Party, who for 8 years shilled for and defended W and his fascism and imperialism and socialist economics, are now able to ride the wave of voter’s economic disgust at government(mostly created by them).
Being in the minority(though libertarians are even more so) does bring out the courage to stand up against statism and blind party loyalty(look at NY23rd)….
Hopefully the California Republican voters can tear the red-colored glasses off and see the socialism that Ms Fiorina and her ilk for what they stand for and reject them by NOT VOTING FOR THEM. And voting FOR individuals such as Assm Devore.
Not much time left….
Chris Bieber
fmr OC Legislative Aide in the 90’s
Fiorina is the kind of self-serving careerist female we do not need. She was over promoted just because she was female, and then nearly ruined one of America’s best companies in HP. Boxer and Co. will eat her for lunch. I’ll back Devore out sheer default.