Posted on 07/09/2008 5:52:58 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Carly Fiorina has headed a major Silicon Valley corporation, ascended to the rank of America's top female business icon, authored a book - and now is on the short list of possible GOP vice presidential candidates.
But now the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard has a new challenge: As a leader of Republican National Committee's 2008 "Victory" drive and a chief adviser to presidential candidate John McCain, she's being buffeted by intense criticism that, as a star campaign surrogate, she is playing fast and loose with the facts.
--snip--
It wasn't the first such slip-up, Keenan said. Fiorina's public reassurance to a group of former Hillary Clinton supporters in Columbus, Ohio, raised hackles after she said the Arizona senator "has never signed on to efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade."
But McCain has repeatedly underscored his opposition to abortion and has said on the campaign trail that the landmark law that protects a woman's right to abortion procedures "should be overturned."
--snip--
With the campaigns of both McCain and Obama in high gear, the critiques underscore how Fiorina's high-profile role could get increasing attention - and raise more questions about her business history.
... At HP, she oversaw the controversial merger of HP and Compaq that resulted in thousands of layoffs, stagnant earnings and the flight of leading HP talent. She was fired and walked out with a $21 million severance package.
--snip--
"Carly Fiorina has talked about outsourcing and defined it as 'rightsourcing,' " he said. And Fiorina, who laid off 18,000 HP workers during the company "restructuring," once noted that her big mistake was that she didn't lay some off fast enough, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Thus SF Gate's virulent attack.
They don't want another woman to ascend to high office where Hitlery failed.
Refresh my memory but is this not the woman that screwed up Hewlett Packard and was let go??? My daughter worked for them for 15 years and doesn’t talk very well about this person.
This is not about gaffes. It is simply about smearing someone high in the McCain campaign in hopes it will hurt McCain.
Well that seems to be their line of attack. Others have disputed it.
Fiorina is far from the most capable person out there. McCain made a poor choice in letting her articulate his policy.
I do but not her. The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear “Carly” is “the person who screwed up HP”
Didn't let him get away with a thing.
Everybody is entitled to their opinion.
I keep hearing that she screwed up. However, the merger seems to have done wonders for the stock.
This is not about gaffes. It is simply about smearing someone high in the McCain campaign in hopes it will hurt McCain.
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I think the ‘Anointed Juan’ does a fine job by himself.
She did not screw up HP. The crazy board forced her out because they did not like the Compaq deal. The Compaq deal eventually saved HP.
This in a freaking NEWS STORY? This is written like an Obama campaign press release.
The Old Media can't die soon enough. Die, die, die.
check the HPQ stock chart, it didn’t begin to move up until “AFTER” Carly was fired. In fact, news of Carly’s firing moved the stock up that very same day.
and Lucent!!!
If McCain picks her I would work for Obama. (Not really, but I would sit out the election in protest)
What’s that supposed to mean? My comment wasn’t directed at you but at SF Gate.
Looks like Fiorina is high on the list of VP possibles.
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Oh yeah, right up there with Lieberman... and hUckabee. :-}
I love my HP/Compaq Proliant Server. Milspec quality and great support.
Yes, this is a smear job. A bunch of nonsense.
But it’s also true that Carly Fiorina screwed up royally at Hewlett Packard and had to be fired. She is a lousy choice as a financial adviser. It’s just that SFGate is too stupid to know what the problem is.
We shall see.
No offense to any of the gals...
But, this woman was/is nothing more than A Diversity prop up in Corporate America...
Anyone who has worked for a Fortune 500 company knows what I am talking about...
It’s Carla’s opinion, she’s a lib, remember.. Lighten up.
No, the board backed her for the CPQ deal, she was fired by the board more than 3 years after the meger was completed becayse she just wasn’t a very competnet operational CEO. You can;t keep missing your quarterly numbers and expect to stay on as CEO of a public company.
Did the merger work? Yes, HP is performaing well under current CEO Mark Hurd. So Carly may have been right to push for the merger, that doesn’t mean she was competent to run the post-(ore even pre) merger company.
But has she talked about chopping off anyone’s mivonks yet?
This does read like an Obama press release. ‘Anointed Juan’? You must mean ‘Anointed One’.
I had to chop the article up a bit, I hope folks can stomach going there to see it in its entirety.
Unfortunately, Smear jobs are par for the course these days. I’m sure Carla will print a retraction for all the items she got wrong. ;-)
I seriously doubt she’s a liberal. If so she would’ve been gung ho for Hillary.
nor mcdole’s age.
My comment stands as does McCain’s stance on CFR and Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
Nothing drives up my ol’ dad’s (a thirty year HP man) blood pressure than the mention of this woman’s name.
so? she may very well be right (in fact, I’ll say she is right) about the strategic direction to pursue the merger, that didn’t make her a competent CEO to actually run the company. A group of Mckinsey consultants could have came up with the same rationale for the merger, but that doesn’t make them CEO material either.
Are you implying she’s a marxist if she is for Obama. :-o
She thought she was the prom queen of hi-tech, parading around the Houston campus of what was Compaq, soaking in the adolescent adoration of unthinking employees who agreed with her that “Large is a winning strategy”.
There was much rejoicing when she left, though she raped the coffers in so doing.
The GOP needs better.

We would attend corporate meetings with Carly, she would speak for an hour and a half and leave everyone wondering what in the hell did she just say.
She's perfect for politics....absolutely perfect.
Carly Fiorina is an expert in the art of massaging and distorting truth.
If McCain chooses this woman as VP, he won't be getting my already apprehensive support for his presidency.
While I am thinking about it where do they get this information?
But Fiorina as VP? ROFL. She'd make a great WH Press Secretary or Chief of Staff though.
I can’t blame him...
She would stand in front of crowds and advocate free trade and state we must now know how to compete in this global economy...
She got hers but the rest of you better get ready to scramble like rats to get ready to survive...
She ruined a great company...
You mean secure the border first? I support that. I don’t support Obama’s amnesty plan though.
I disagree. The woman is a great organizer and spokesperson. She has stumbled some, but who hasn't?
I think when she headed HP she was a little over her head. But she's a very gung-ho person and doesn't care where the chips fall. She has a no-nonsense attitude and guts. That's an asset, not a liability. Like I said, she'd make a great press secretary or WH chief of staff.
Candidates will say almost anything to get elected,, and then some.
If you buy the secure the border first bit, I got a bridge for ya, cheap.
Just answer the question of whose best interest is it to snipe at Fiorina? Do you suppose that the SF Gate is simply being fair and balanced, or do you suppose that they are carrying water for Obama and the DNC with this plant article?
McCain has a record of reform. I think he understands that this has reached a boiling point and the border must be secured.
Bridge? McCain was against that too. LOL
LOL. Fat chance.
Truth is...they would hate to see the Repubs be the first to get a woman in one of the top slots.
She makes me vomit. For one thing you would think a woman her age could hold her head still while she talks. I believe she is to the left of mccain but what do i know.
McCain has a record of reform.
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Oh yeah.
Terrorists can sleep easier knowing they won’t be waterboarded or have to stay at Gitmo if caught.. and who cares that freedom of speech was infringed? and borders? who needs ‘em?
Where’s his coattails, btw? He must have the same tailor as aRnold.
McCain has a record of reform.
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Oh yeah.
Terrorists can sleep easier knowing they won’t be waterboarded or have to stay at Gitmo if caught.. and who cares that freedom of speech was infringed? and borders? who needs ‘em?
Where’s his coattails, btw? He must have the same tailor as aRnold.
Are you folks paid by the RNC?
If Norman Bates has even a smattering of conservatism in his soul, Norman would recognize that the problem is not with the opposition or their sycophants.
The problem is with the angry, liberal, little man with a Napoleonic complex and his new spokesman who nearly destroyed a perfectly good company. One is the definition of a political looser and the other a business failure in spades.
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