Fiorina says she would get tough on Chinese

DAVENPORT - Carly Fiorina, who is rising in the polls in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, said Friday she would take a harder tack against Chinese cyberattacks than President Barack Obama.

Fiorina spoke to more than 600 people at St. Ambrose University's Rogalski Center, part of the New Ideas Forum and the first of two stops she was making in Scott County on Friday.

The comments came the same day Chinese President Xi Jinping was making a state visit to the White House, where the subject of cyberattacks was expected to be a primary topic.

'We have to retaliate when our enemies attack us in cyberspace, and we do nothing,” Fiorina told the St. Ambrose audience.

Fiorina dealt with a range of questions on Friday, including how companies can help employees balance work and home life, medical marijuana and what she learned by being fired by Hewlett-Packard.

She also acknowledged her rise in the polls, saying it's led to more political attacks on her.

Fiorina has gained momentum since her performance last week in the CNN debate in California. A Quinnipiac University poll, released Thursday, put her in third place behind Donald Trump and Ben Carson.

Fiorina's growing popularity appeared to be evidenced by the big crowd she drew Friday.

Tom and Doris Woodruff of Davenport said they wanted somebody to be president who would follow through on good policies, and they praised Fiorina's career experience.

'The big thing we need is a manager of this country,” Tom Woodruff said.

Kathy Driscoll of DeWitt said she hasn't made up her mind whom to support, but the debate impressed her.

'I thought she was wonderful,” Driscoll said, describing Fiorina as someone who stuck to issues and 'stayed on point.”

At one point, a questioner Friday asked Fiorina about how to help workers achieve a better work-home life balance.

Fiorina responded it requires 'enlightened employers” and said in her career she had supported job-sharing and leave policies. But she said she did not support governments mandating changes, which she claimed would cost jobs. Instead, she said she would 'lead by example” in the White House.

Fiorina also was asked what she learned from being fired at Hewlett-Packard. She called the dismissal the result of a 'boardroom brawl.” But she also noted other notable leaders had been fired, too, including Steve Jobs.

The New Ideas Forum is sponsored by the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce, St. Ambrose and the Quad-City Times.

Fiorina also was scheduled to appear Friday at a Cedar Rapids fundraiser for Rene Gadelha, who's seeking to unseat Liz Mathis in the Iowa Senate.