CA: Senate Candidates and Silicon Valley

The Los Angeles Times reports that HP will be a campaign issue:

In her memoirs, Fiorina acknowledged that she knew before she pushed a controversial 2001 merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer Corp. that it would lead to the loss of thousands of jobs. The company also laid off 6,000 workers shortly before the merger was announced, and job cuts occurred each year after through 2005, when she was fired. But asked after the event Wednesday whether she had any regrets about those cuts, Fiorina defended her decisions.

"Every business in this state knows that there are times when you face a terrible decision: do you lay off some to save the enterprise?" she said. "Barbara Boxer doesn't understand it; she can't possibly understand it."

But Boxer's campaign manager, Rose Kapolczynski, said Fiorina's choices at HP placed "profits over people."

Politico reports that Boxer is doing fine with the tech industry:

So while former Hewlett-Packard CEO Fiorina is touting her conservative, business-friendly leanings, it’s Boxer’s tech-friendly track record that is helping her on the campaign trail.

“She’s someone who’s viewed as one of the most liberal members of the Senate, but on key tech issues, [Boxer] has not only often voted the right way but has been an evangelist in her caucus on the floor for key tech issues,” Carl Guardino, president of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, told POLITICO.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0610/38935.html#ixzz0rlxInrQR

But according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the computer/internet field is not Boxer's top industry for contributions. Career totals:

Lawyers/Law Firms .....$4,474,825

Women's Issues ............$2,653,311

TV/Movies/Music ........$2,281,469

Retired ..........................$1,733,397

Democratic/Liberal ......$1,319,321

Real Estate .......................$931,238

Securities & Investment $863,586

Health Professionals .......$834,843

Pro-Israel .......................$742,407

Business Services ............$662,353

Lobbyists ........................$637,751

Leadership PACs ............$568,860

Computers/Internet ......$537,367