McCain Defends Fiorina's Golden Parachute

This weekend, John McCain defended unhelpful surrogate Carly Fiorina's generous severance package from Hewlett Packard:

"I think she did a good job as CEO in many respects," McCain told "The Today Show's" Meredith Vieira when she pressed him on the matter in light of McCain's recent accusations of greed on Wall Street.

"I know that she was a very successful businesswoman. Started out as a part-time secretary and made her way to the top of the corporate ladder as one of the biggest CEOs in the United States of America," McCain said after noting that he was unaware of the specifics of her compensation package.

Fiorina received $21 million in severance pay when she was fired as CEO of Hewlett Packard in 2005. She received an additional $21 million when Hewlett Packard's board bought out her company stock options and pension benefits. Her compensation package sparked a lawsuit from shareholders.

McCain admitted, however, that he was not familiar with the details of Fiorina's payout:

McCAIN: I don't think so. ... Because I think she did a good job as CEO in many respects. I don't know the details of her compensation package. But she's one of many advisers that I have.

Q: But she did get a $45 million dollar golden parachute after being fired while 20,000 of her employees were laid off.

McCAIN: I have many of the people, but I do not know the details of what happened.

McCain has vowed to end "multimillion dollar payouts to CEO's who have broken the public trust."

Watch:

Comments

[jiml1956]

He doesn't know too much about his people, does he?

The vetting process was probably something like this -

Carly was the CEO of a big company. Great.

Sarah is governor of Alaska. Great.

What else does he need to know?

[tsloan]

Once upon a time in a land far away...sal­aries and bonuses were based on ability and job performance.

Greed is great. Greed is good.

McHoover/Caribou Barbie 08

[DaOne]

He's so impressed with her that she's no longer on the campaign.

[wolf58]

I have many people to, they are called the US Armed forces. So seeing how McCain doesn't have problem with golden parchutes how about we give one to every service member when they become disabled through thier service to country. As it is the Government is currently paying a 1940's compensation scale which is equal to being under paid by 25 percent what they should be getting. So really what has she and other like her have done to deserve this kind of money? Nobody is worth this.

[Grannysue]

Yup Yup, my friend I have many people, don't know the details, yup, oh all those people lost their jobs, well ya know she did a good job, company nearly bankrupt? Oh, well I have many people!
If this guy wasn't so tragic he might be funny! BUT HE'S RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT!

[luvienne]

He defends a rich leech, but average Americans have to put country first. What's wrong with that picture?

[OKC Mateo]

PRIME EXAMPLE OF MCCAIN'S HYPOCRISY!!!

[amamomofsons]

You can bet your bottom dollar that if the population of this country collectively decided to NOT PAY the $2,000.00 in new taxes that this mess will cost each and every one of us.....som­eone would stand up and say ENOUGH for the greedy CEO's. And as far as Palin goes, this first look at the choice that McCain made while putting "America first" is reason enough to disqualify him. It's rather like seventh grade school elections where the cool football hero asks the goofy cheerleader to run with him because she is the most popular girl in class. The whole thing makes me so sick to my stomach.

[LilyK]

McCAIN: I have many of the people, but I do not know the details of what happened.

Is it just me or does that sentence make absolutely no sense? At least he knows that he has "many of the people" unlike his not knowing he has "many of the houses."

[lejman]

mccains statement sounds like a headline in the onion.

[chs1965]

I "don't know the details" could be his new campaign slogan.

[mjtaylor22]

STOP THIS MADNESS, I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS GUYS EVER LED OR SHOULD EVER LEAD IN THE POLLS, HE HAS NO CLUE AND OBVIOUSLY SAYS WHATEVER IS POLITICALLY ADVANTAGEOUS, EVEN IF HE DOES NOT KNOW WHT HE IS SAYING
STOP THIS MADNESS
VOTE OBAMA/BIDEN

[LWkcma]

Here is where racism rears its ugly head. Many people will vote for an old man and a barbie doll rather than vote for a person of color.

[CourtneyReg]

obama may be a person of color but he is a person with so much better credentials that these two combined.

the sad and scary thing is, some american voters actually believe the palin/mccain duo!

May the Lord help us.

[raskolnikov72]

Partially true .... Reagan, the unknown was running about how barack is running ... The debates sealed it fir Reagan

[JiminNC]

Shocked that little junior f^ck up would feel that way.

[xcrunner77]

"I don't know the details" -- about sums up the McCain/Palin campaign. THey should put this on buttons and t-shirt