Amigos de Carly Fiorina? Seriously?

Here we go again.  GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman recently launched Spanish language T.V. ads, even though she whacked Latino immigrants during her primary campaign.  Now her fellow Republican, Carly Fiorina, has announced her new “Amigos de Carly” website.

The new Carly site is in Spanish.  Click here to read her website in English.

There is no mention of immigration issues on the Amgos de Carly website.  Zero.

However, Fiorina, like Whitman, bashed Latinos during her primary campaign, although she was far more measured in her comments.  Case in point:

In a grilling of an interview by Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s The Situation Room, Carly Florina, running against U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer in an election battle for Boxer’s California seat in The Senate, said that she understood and supports Arizona’s controversial illegal immigration law.  (San Francisco Chronicle) 

“Carly is running to represent all Californians, and believes that the state’s many Latinos represent the very best of America.  The fact of the matter is that the federal government has failed to secure the border, and to put in place an effective temporary worker program to facilitate legal immigration– something Carly strongly supports.  Meanwhile, too many Latinos remain unemployed unnecessarily as Barbara Boxer refuses to take steps to alleviate the water crisis afflicting the Central Valley or otherwise bring down the state’s 12 percent-plus unemployment rate.  That, combined with her personally-championed efforts to kill immigration reform when given an opening to do so in the Senate, are but two major reasons why her support among Latinos is anemic, and her re-election campaign is in deep trouble.” — Liz Mair, spokeswoman, Carly for California

And they referred me to a Politico.com article that included this statement:

But when asked in an interview with POLITICO if Republicans needed to make any changes in their approach to the growing Hispanic community, Fiorina replied, “There has been a very unfortunate racist tone that has emerged in a lot of the discussion about immigration and that’s inexcusable. We must be a country that welcomes legal immigrants to this country. We must be a country that recognizes that we have industries like agriculture that have depended on temporary migrant labor for generations.” 

I am trying to find out where Fiorina stands on the Dream Act.  I did get an answer when I asked her campaign what is Fiorina’s position on making it easier to come to this nation legally.  I was offered this quote, from this link, from an article published in January of this year:

“Well, I think it is always good to attract hardworking people from other countries to come here to build their dreams. I mean, this is, after all, a country that has benefited enormously from being the place people want to come. And, of course, we should make it – we should be welcoming and make it easier for tech entrepreneurs or for legal immigrants of any kind to come to this country temporarily on a visa or permanently as legal immigrants. It’s to our advantage.”

Again, it would appear that Fiorina is much more nuanced on these issues than Whitman.

I was also offered this Fiorina statement on the issue of the Arizona SB 1070 law:

“Barbara Boxer and President Obama are playing politics with an issue of vital importance to the people of California. No legislation is required for the federal government to do its job and secure the border. It was the height of hypocrisy for President Obama to attack the people of Arizona in light of his refusal to use his presidential powers to secure our borders. Barbara Boxer should do her job by asking President Obama and the federal government to do their jobs.

“Instead of vilifying the people of Arizona, we should be demanding that the federal government do its job and secure the border. The federal government has failed to uphold its most basic function – ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. The Arizona law is a reflection of the outrage felt by the state’s residents, and it underscores the need for the federal government to make border security a top priority.

“While I do believe it is problematic when states take on responsibilities of the federal government, the people of Arizona are justified in their frustration, and I support their efforts to protect their citizens. The exact wording of the law says officials ‘may not solely consider race, color or national origin’ in its implementation, and I am confident it can be enforced responsibly. It is my hope that this bill serves only as an interim measure until the federal government takes the right kind of action to secure our border.”

Here is Fiorina’s press release, announcing her attempt to reach out to the Latinos:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 26, 2010

Contact: Amy Thoma, Jessica Hsiang, 916-551-1383

Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Carly Fiorina Host Town Hall with Latino Leaders in Sacramento

Fiorina Also Launches “Amigos De Carly” Web Site

SACRAMENTO, CA – U.S. Senate candidate Carly Fiorina today joined former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez in holding a town hall with Latino leaders at Griselda’s Catering in Sacramento to discuss the important issues facing the Latino community in California.

“Carly Fiorina understands the tough environment Latino families, businesses and communities are facing right now because of the recent economic slowdown and because of misguided policies championed by our leaders in Washington,” said Gutierrez. “Carly is a practical problem-solver who will be a vocal advocate in the U.S. Senate, and I am pleased to have the opportunity to support her candidacy.”

Gutierrez began his career as a sales representative and management trainee at Kellogg Company in 1975. He rose to become the company’s president and chief executive officer in 1999 and was, at the time, the only Latino CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He was then appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, a position he held from 2005 to 2009.

“California used to be the land of opportunity in the land of opportunity. But under Barbara Boxer’s leadership, taxes have gone up by more than a trillion dollars, our debt and our deficit have skyrocketed and the size and scope of government continues to grow,” said Fiorina. “If we want to get our state and our nation on the track toward job creation and economic growth, then we must support our nation’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. Barbara Boxer has thus far refused to pursue policies that encourage their growth and success, and that’s why we must replace her this November.”

Fiorina today also launched Amigos de Carly, a Web site dedicated to informing Spanish-speaking Californians about her candidacy for U.S. Senate and her views on some of the most important issues facing the state today, including job creation, economic growth and water. Amigos de Carly builds on Fiorina’s continuing efforts to reach out to members of the Spanish-speaking community, including through the Latinos for Carly coalition, which is chaired by former California State Assemblyman Bob Pacheco. Click here to visit Amigos de Carly.
For more information about Carly and her campaign, visit www.carlyforca.com and join us on Facebook and Twitter.

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