Station:   KNUS, 710 AM

Show:      Dan Caplis Show

Guests:    Fiorina

Link:        http://dancaplis.podbean.com/

Date:       June 26, 2015

Topics:     Iran Nuclear Deal, Barack Obama, Bibi Netanyahu, Mossad, Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollahs, Western Conservative Summit, Sean Hannity Show, Fox News, Debate, Brown Palace Hotel, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Hillary Clinton, 2016 Presidential Election, Confederate flag, Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina, Apple, Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon,

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GUEST HOST CRAIG SILVERMAN:  I tell you who’s having a great week:  Carly Fiorina.  I watched her on Hannity last night.  She had the whole hour and she knocked it out of the park.  I think she’s going to be on the debate stage at the Fox News debate.  […]  After her performance last night, I’d like to think that I’m her good luck charm because she was on my Valentine’s Day show, also a remote from the same area of downtown Denver.  It was cool to see her walk by through the Hyatt, she waved to me on her way to the Brown Palace.  But we’ve got her on the phone. Carly Fiorina, welcome back to the airwaves of 710 KNUS!

GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, CARLY FIORINA:  Thank you so much for having me back.  It was great to wave to you as we walked by.  [laughs]

SILVERMAN:  I know it.  I couldn’t believe you got from New York to Denver so fast.  What about that appearance on Hannity? I think you hit a home run, probably with two or three people on base.  Did you think it went as well as I thought it went for you?

FIORINA:  Well, thank you so much for saying so. Uh, first of all, of course I was so pleased and honored to have the opportunity to speak with Sean Hannity and his viewers that long.  You know, it’s wonderful to have that much time to really amplify who you are and what you would do around a variety of important issues.  And based on the reaction we’ve gotten in the Twitter-verse and fundraising, and emails, and all the rest, I think it clearly went well

SILVERMAN:  And one of the things that I like about you, and I think people around America like you about you, unless they’re fans of Hillary Clinton, is your willingness to take her on.  When you say Hillary Clinton should not be president, you say it with an emphasis that I agree with. She’s just corrupt, and you’re not afraid to say it.

FIORINA:  Well, you know, I think it’s really important that people understand what’s at stake, here.  We cannot lose to Hillary Clinton again.  We cannot lose the White House again.  And every day that goes by, that becomes more and more clear.  So, Hillary Clinton must be beaten.  And I think we have to be very clear-eyed about what it’s going to take to beat her. Yes, she’s a very flawed candidate. But we shouldn’t underestimate her in any way.  She’s going to have all the money in the world – more money than anyone on our side. She’s going to have a great ground game, thanks to two Obama terms.  She is a very hardworking, focused woman, clearly willing to pander to whomever is necessary to get elected.  So, we have to be very clear-eyed.  And that means we need a nominee—and I believe I am that nominee – who – or would be that nominee – who will really take the fight to her and be fearless in pointing out who she actually is and what she will actually do, and the policy she will actually pursue.

SILVERMAN:  Right. Maybe you have an advantage being the same gender, but everyday there’s a new revelation about Hillary Clinton.  Now, it has come – what we always suspected—that there are a bunch of missing emails, they relate to Benghazi, she’s been caught.  And she’s destroying evidence.  I’m an attorney.  It’s called ‘spoliation’.  And when you can prove it, it leads to an adverse inference, or a sanction against the party who’s destroying the evidence. I mean, this is ridiculous, how many things that she’s destroying, and yet she seems to get a pass from the media.

FIORINA:  Well, and, you know, in addition to that, it’s part of this larger pattern.  I mean, look, there’s a reason that 82% of the American people think we have this professional political class, and the deck is stacked in Washington, and it all just goes on and on.  I mean, we just heard yesterday and the day before as well, about the fact that the IRS has lost – ‘lost’, kind of failed to preserve tens of thousands of emails that they were told to preserve.  Is that ineptitude? Is that corruption?  What is that?  But you can rest assured that this administration isn’t going to pursue any of that.  And so, of course Hillary Clinton thinks she can get away with it.

SILVERMAN:  Right. And Barack Obama knows of the corruption, knows of the lies about the Clinton Foundation, and for whatever reason, doesn’t do anything about it. I wrote down your description of the government when you said it last night to Sean Hannity: “Bloated”, “Bureaucratic”, “Corrupt”, and “Inept”.  And I’m telling you, what’s attractive about your candidacy is you’ve never held political office, but you headed up a great company:  Hewlett-Packard.  But before that, you worked for a small nine person real estate firm, starting out as the secretary.  What does your background give you as an advantage.  And I’ll tell you, when you walked by one of my producers said, “She’s got the biggest telephone I’ve ever seen.”  I don’t know how big it is. I said, “Maybe that’s a Hewlett-Packard model.”  I don’t know

FIORINA:  [laughs] No, no.  I’ll tell you what: It’s an iPhone 6plus with a multi-charger, and yes, it’s huge!  We went from wanting them really small to now needing them really big.  And that, of course, has something to do with my age and my eyes.  You know, the bigger it is the better I can read it.  But, uh, look, I did in fact start as a secretary for a nine person real estate firm, and ultimately became the Chief Executive of the largest technology company in the world:  Hewlett-Packard.  That is only possible in this nation.  I really do understand how the economy works, from the smallest business to the largest business.  I understand how the world works.  I mean, I’ve been in and around the world for a very long time. I know virtually every world leader on the stage today.  I’ve had private meetings with them, not photo ops.  I’ve advised a lot of governments.  I’m not a neophyte.  You know, I’ve been engaged in multiple presidential campaigns, but I chaired the advisory board of the CIA, advised two Secretaries of Defense, a Secretary of Homeland Security, a Secretary of State.  So, I understand how bureaucracies operate, because whether a bureaucracy is in business or government, it’s all the same.  I understand technology.  I understand how to use technology to change bureaucracies and also to re-engage citizens in the process with their government. And perhaps most importantly of all, I understand leadership:  what it is, the fact that it requires sometimes tough calls tough times with high stakes, for which you are prepared to be held to account.  But that ultimately, leadership is not about the position.  It’s not about the title you hold. It’s not about the power or the size of your office.  It’s about whether a leader is willing to serve by unlocking the potential in others. And now, I believe, we need a leader in the Oval Office who will serve the American people by challenging the status quo–in a serious way—of Washington D.C. and unlocking the potential of this great nation.

SILVERMAN:  I intend to challenge the status quo on Sunday on the west steps of the state Capitol.  I’m going to be part of a rally to stop this bad Iran nuclear deal.  You’re invited to join us if you’re still in town.  I think you could pick up another couple of percentage points. Tell us your attitude pending this Iran nuclear deal

FIORINA:  [It’s a] Terrible deal. And of course, becasuse our President declared victory before we even had a deal, the Ayatollah’s in Iran have spent the past several months renegotiating the deal so it’s even worse than it was a few months ago.  I can remember sitting in Bibi Netanyahu’s – the prime minister of Israel’s office five years ago, talking with him privately about Iran and their march toward a nuclear weapon, and then going to see the head of Mossad to talk about the same thing.  Look, I don’t care what the deal is. The day I would enter the Oval Office, I would make two phone calls.  The first would be to Bibi Netahyahu to reassure him that we will stand with the state of Israel.  The second will be to the supreme leader of Iran.  He might not take my phone call, but he would get my message.  And the message is this:  until you open every nuclear facility, every uranium enrichment facility to full and unfettered, anytime-anywhere inspections, we will cut off your ability to move money around the financial system.  We can do that.  We don’t need anyone’s cooperation or permission to do that. We need to do it. This is a bad deal, and Iran needs to be stopped.

SILVERMAN:  Well, you’re seeing my world.  I’m a native of Denver. I hope you like it.  And you went from the Hyatt Regency over to the Brown Palace.  Are you familiar with the history of the Brown Palace?

FIORINA:  Well, a little bit, yes.  But I’m sure you can tell me much more about it.  It’s been several years since I’ve been here, but it’s always a great place.

SILVERMAN:  Well, I guess the major claim to fame is the Beatles once stayed there.  And it’s a Denver landmark.  But now, Carly Fiorina is there.  And you’re going to be at the Western Conservative Summit this weekend.  Why is Colorado important to you?

FIORINA:  Well, Colorado is important for a whole set of reasons.  Obviously, this is a state where a lot of really important and active conservatives and Republicans reside. This is a state that is, you know, testing the limits of states’ rights.  I’m – for example, I don’t agree with the legalization of marijuana. I think we’re misleading young people about how safe it is.  It’s not the same as having a beer.  On the other hand, I accept that Colorado and Colorado voters have the right to be a laboratory of democracy for this. I hope they will come to their senses.  So, I think there are a lot of interesting things that go on in Colorado.  Of course, last year, I was very engaged in a project called ‘Unlocking Potential’ to help bring women back to the Republican Party.  We worked hard to get Cory Gardner elected and [I’m] very pleased that he is a wonderful Senator from this great state.  So, there are many things that happen here that I think are impactful, newsworthy, and leading in the nation right now.

SILVERMAN:  [A] great female leader that I admire very much is Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina? I thought she was pitch perfect in the way she responded to the tragedy – the murders—in Charleston.  But what’s your opinion about that?

FIORINA:  Well, I agree with you.  And I think that, you know, iIn all of the rush to blame the wrong things for that tragedy, what I think was wonderful is that Nikki Haley’s event — the people standing with her. It was a great example of unity – unity between Republicans and Democrats, unity between people of African-American descent and white.  It was an example of unity.  And what people have forgotten in the history of all this is that there was the same unity between Republicans and Democrats, between blacks and whites, when that flag was erected –the Confederate flag –where it was.  And so clearly, there was a time in the opinion of the people of South Carolina for that flag to be flying, and there is a time now, in the opinion of the people of South Carolina, which is where that decision should rest, for that flag to come down.  And I hope that there are others who will not rush to obliterate history.  It is not wise to forget the history of this nation.  It is through our history and through our struggles that we become a more perfect union.

SILVERMAN:  Right.  And I don’t claim to know the South that well.  I’m a Coloradoan, you’re a Californian, but I don’t like the Confederate flag. And when various companies have decided not to sell them anymore, I say, “Good for them!  That’s the market place.”  And you’re familiar with the market place, do you approve of these various large companies, like Target and Wal-Mart and Amazon and Apple taking this stand against the Confederate flag?  Isn’t that just the market place at work?

FIORINA:  Well, if it is, then I applaud it.  Uh, absolutely. I think sometimes, however, companies respond to political pressure.  And if that’s what it is, that’s too bad.  But look, I think that a tragedy like this should be an opportunity for unity and introspection. And while the Confederate flag is really important – obviously—to the people of South Carolina – it’s why they came together and made this decision. I would feel so much better conversation about mental health in this nation about whether we are treating it appropriately, about how it is that we have so many of these really deranged young men, who others know are a problem long before they commit violence. And yet they are not stopped.  That’s a really important conversation to have, as well.  And unfortunately, we’re not having it.

SILVERMAN:  Well, Carly Fiorina, I appreciate the chance to have a further conversation with you, and we should do this every few months because your standing keeps rising.  And I think Colorado is going to be a key swing state and you’re wise to be here.  […]