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Fiorina threatens to get in McCain's antique cabinet

Er, but Bush already mastered the 'Invent' agenda

Having turned HP into a model of consistency . . . Having morphed HP into a no-nonsense juggernaut . . . Having guided HP through the smoothest mega-merger in history . . . Er, okay. How about - Having rubbed out the Hewlett-Packard brand, the HP Way and HP's competitive position against IBM and Dell, Carly Fiorina would now like to lend her insight gained about running large organizations and alienating as many people as possible to the White House.

Fiorina today did away with years of speculation around her political ambitions by confirming that she would indeed take a post in the White House.

"There are many, many people who would be honored to serve in President McCain's cabinet and, depending on the opportunity, I would be as well," she told reporters during a gig in Washington.

A staunch Republican, Fiorina has served on committees for both President Bush and Governor Gropenfuhrer. She's also a major adviser and fund raiser for old man McCain, joining former eBay CEO Meg Whitman in this capacity to form what are known as McCain's Silicon Darlings, which is a comical take on Bill Clinton's Silicone Darlings, who were less adept at attracting the mega-rich to their cause but equally well gifted in financial matters.

We digress.

Ever since being fired from HP, Fiorina's name has popped up for various political roles with some pundits thinking she'd go for the Governor job in New Jersey or even head up the World Bank. When pushed to discuss her political ambitions, Fiorina would always decline the offer.

When your reporter probed her on the topic in 2007, Fiorina said that education has always been a passion. So perhaps she's aiming for that Secretary of Education post.

Hey, your kids might not end up smart, but they'll be well-branded. iDunce, maybe?

We feel for Fiorina in some ways because her political career seems rather constrained by the success of her successor. While Fiorina argues that she set HP CEO Mark Hurd up for victory, few believe such claims. So, with every passing quarter, we're reminded of Hurd's strengths and Fiorina's failures, and that's a tough situation for a politician who will be selling her business savvy to fall back on. ®

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