From 2009.
From 2009.

Carly Fiorina supports massive skilled immigration ("There is no job that is America’s God-given right anymore")

Former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina recently announced her candidacy as a Republican for senator from California; she's trying to unseat Barbara Boxer. While the latter is a highly worthy goal, she appears to be a globalist, profits-at-any-cost supporter of massive immigration at least of the skilled variety. Her position on low-skilled immigration isn't known, but generally speaking people who hold her positions are open to compromises with the Democrats, where they trade increases in H1B caps and the like in exchange for giving the Democrats a legalization program. They're willing to give the Democrats even more power in exchange for short-term profits, and that's not exactly a wise move.

Here are some strong warning signs about her candidacy:

1. Per this, in 2004 she said: "There is no job that is America’s God-given right anymore."
2. She was an economic advisor to the McCain campaign last year and appeared with him at the event described at the link above.
3. Her record at HP appears to be spotty at best and may have involved her putting her H1B-related ideas into action and failing.
4. She chairs the Technology Policy Institute; a PDF where they tout H1B visas, lifting green card limits on skilled H1B workers, and so on is here.
5. From her own site (carlyfiorina.com/education_outreach.html):

Based on experience leading a Fortune 20 firm with a worldwide workforce of over 150,000, Carly Fiorina provides a roadmap that business leaders, communities and policy-makers can use as they consider how to best support global commerce by American firms for whom competing and winning over the long haul is much more risky and much more difficult today. In particular, she looks at the challenges facing the U.S. education system, ways that public policy can jump-start innovation and the legal, ethical and moral conflicts that arise with the matter of immigration. The stakes are big - throughout all of history, political power has been based on economic power. Fiorina issues a call to action for public activism and involvement while urging stakeholders to focus on finding common ground and to stop arguing about their differences so real progress can be made.

I take the latter to be her indicating that, for instance, during debates aboutcomprehensive immigration reform she'd make the bargain outlined above. Note also that she's giving her opponents an opportunity to ask her about the moral aspects of massive immigration from Mexico and of brain-draining foreign countries.

6. From a puff piece from her former school (rhsmith.umd.edu/smithbusiness/fall2006/coverstory.html):

When thinking about the nation's public policy, Fiorina also thinks in terms of mental power. Take immigration policy: in the last 15 years 3 billion people have joined the world economy. "If even a tenth of those people are educated and motivated, that means 300 million new people outside the United States are trying to compete in the global economy," says Fiorina. "We're not going to win through sheer force of numbers. In order for America to remain competitive, ideas and mental power have to be harnessed."

Public policy objectives, then, should focus on investing in education and innovation, and immigration policies should focus on attracting and keeping the brightest and most competitive people from around the world. "I'm not sure that those considerations are shaping the debate on immigration or education to the extent it should," says Fiorina.
7. She appears to have at least two tools in her corner: Ed Morrissey of HotAir interviews her at hotair.com/archives/2009/11/06/the-ed-morrissey-show-carly-fiorina and, while I didn't listen to it, I'm going to guess based on his past history that he didn't press her on immigration matters. The commenters at that page don't seem wild about her, with some calling her a RINO. Others are presenting the usual "she's better than the Dem" argument. The HotAir page is promoted by Glenn Reynolds at pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/87991. While, as usual, he says nothing, if he were opposed to her he might have encouraged his readers to go wave loopy signs at her or something.

Possibly related:


http://24ahead.com/carly-fiorina-sup...tion-there-no-