which I sadly did not have time for, but maybe some of the commenters will have the time for instead.
FIORINA: Thank you so much for the privilege of truly to be here and to have a great debate with you Sen. Boxer. I have traveled up and down this wonderful state and I have been struck by the beauty and by the spirit of Californians. But I must say I am also struck by the anger, the frustration and yes, even fear. I remember meeting the immigrant who had built his small business from the ground up only to see it ruined with too much taxation and too much regulation and I remember him looking me and saying “This is not the country I came to. My own government is destroying my livelihood.”
I remember speaking to the city councilman who talked about his struggles to keep his community together while they struggled with almost 40% unemployment. And I remember as well the woman who looked me in the eye and grasped my hand and said I have never voted before, but I am voting for you because I am afraid for my children’s future.
Promise me this, when you get to Washington, you will not forget us. We can turn our nation around. We can get it back on the right track. We can get our state on the right track. We can grow or economy. We can control government spending.
But to do all these things, we must start by changing the people we send to Washington. I ask for your support. I ask for your vote. And I pledge to you this. I will go to the U.S. Senate and I will fight for the millions of Californians who love their country, who go about their business, who pay their dues, who serve their communities. You don’t ask for frills or favors. You give a lot and you expect little. You are asking for one simple thing now, that we take our government back, make it listen and make it work.