(CNN) – Republican Senate hopeful Carly Fiorina expressed regret Sunday for a recent, unguarded comment about her rival's hair style that was caught on a live microphone as she prepped for a television interview last week.
"God, what is that hair?" Fiorina said of Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California. "So yesterday."
Related: Open mic catches Fiorina dig at Boxer
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Fiorina tried to move past the embarrassing moment.
"Well, I was quoting a friend of mine," Fiorina said, according to a transcript. "But look, I regret this whole situation. I gave people the opportunity to talk about something petty and superficial. And this is a very serious election year about serious issues."
But Fiorina did not directly respond Sunday when asked whether she'd called Boxer to apologize.
"You know, what I think I owe the voters is a commitment to stay focused on facts, on issues and on the things that really matter, and I will keep that commitment to the voters," the California Republican said.
On the issues, Fiorina said that her race against Boxer is about the economy, the need for job creation, and the proper and reach of the federal government.
"We're not just going through tough economic times in California. We are destroying jobs. And we're destroying them because of a government that is too big, taxes that are too high, regulations that are too thick. So this election is about jobs, but it's also about out-of-control government.
"And the reason I am running for the Senate is because so much of the Senate's work impacts every family and every business in California."
In a separate appearance Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Fiorina sought to play up her outsider credentials during a midterm election year that some political observers see as an anti-incumbent, anti-Washington election year.
"I've never been in politics before. I've never run for office. But I think our founding fathers intended this to be a citizen government. It's what of, by and for the people means."
Fiorina added, "If I am fortunate enough to win this seat in November, it will be because the people of California send me to Washington, not the Republican Party. I am my own person, and I will continue to be my own person."
Two recent nonpartisan polls conducted before Fiorina secured the GOP nomination both suggested that Boxer is leading Fiorina by single digits in a general election matchup.
Both polls also indicated that Fiorina is within striking distance of the Democratic incumbent, with roughly 13 percent of those surveyed in each poll saying they had not decided who they would support in November.
From CNN Politics
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As a female CEO in a male dominated industry, I would have thought that Carly would have been beyond the superficial cattiness of hairdos and fashion (especially considering that she herself is not particularly attractive). Good grief, woman! It is 2010. Isn't time to move beyond that? As a woman, I could care less what a politician (male or female) looks like. I just want one who actually represents the people and does the job they were elected to do.
What we certainly don't need in office is a failed ex-CEO who can't run a corporation and, it appears, a campaign successfully. We've been there and done that already ... I think it is time to give the competent a chance for once.
Here we go; Five more long months in California!
Saw Carly this am on Fox with Chris Wallace. Thought a lot of her before. Voted for her because she ,I thought ,would be a welcome change. An Honest person-I thought. She dodged & weaved Wallace's questions better than most veteran political hacks-the ones we are trying to get rid of. Virtually no honesty at all. What a disappointment. Now who do we vote for ??
Maybe we can ask Fiorina to apologize right after we hear all the apologies from democrats and pundits who demeaned Hillary Clinton by constantly talking about her pansuits, her hair, her cleavage, her laugh, her decision to stay with her husband, and then after other democrats call and apologize to Sarah Palin for discussing whether she had a boob job done. When I hear all those apologies first, then I will worry whether Carly has apologized or not.
Her true colors shined brightly. This is the pettiness that you will send to Washington if you vote for her. Seems to me that since she is a cancer survivor and has had to regrow hair, that she would be that last person on earth to comment about hair. Poor judgment, nonexistent and naive political savvy. I wouldn't be surprised if she were an only child. Petty, petty, petty. Grow up, get serious!
"We're not just going through tough economic times in California. We are destroying jobs. And we're destroying them because of a government that is too big, taxes that are too high, regulations that are too thick. So this election is about jobs, but it's also about out-of-control government"
Did I miss something or isn't the CA governor a Republican???
And she can't answer a simple direct question, and then blames her opponents for the trival digression.
Sounds like a Palin clone, so I'm sure she will win over experience...
God, what is that epic failure going to do to the state of California. Run it into the ground like she did HP? So yesterday.
Its not like she was trying to bribe sum1 to stay out of a race, or like she referred to her opponent as a nazi. oh yeah, sorry i 4got this remark that is tame and boring deserves all of this scrutiny n speculation cuz we luv catfights then judge women 4 giving us even a morsel of 1. i like carly more now, she does sound like a typical American woman unlike the hypocrites on the left who act offended by this then speak 100x worse about conservative women. no 1 buys it anymore, people remember and knw how to use the internet, the lefts obsession with smearing SP makes this luk like a friendly jab.
Fiorina is so hypocrite and arrogant. If she wants to stay focused on facts and issues in California; why bother talking about the other woman's hair, it sure is a non-issue.
Fiorina is a weak candidate for senate, Campbell would be the better politician to bring down Boxer.
Tacky- females have always played with their choice of playmates and will talk trash on their "friends" off days. Males learned to be a team player and played their positions without all the drama regarding others. You need to respect Senator Boxer for being a pioneer for you to try to unseat her with your money. I am as sick of the Party of No as I am of the oil slick and the BP oil slickters.
No, Ms. Fiorina, you did not give people the opportunity to talk about something petty and superficial; YOU took the opportunity to talk about something petty and superficial, without any outside prompting. You showed your true colors by speaking your mind when you thought nobody was listening. The right thing to do is apologize, but you are trying to laugh it off as unimportant.
You think you owe the voters a commitment to stay focused on facts and issues? Maybe you should try it instead of gossiping like a fishwife.
This is the same woman who ordered illegal tapping of the phones of Board of Directors and Officers of HP when she was the CEO of HP. This woman is a chip off the old Richard Nixon Block. Talk about a vicious and vindictive woman. This woman scares me!
She did a good job with HP, let her try her hand at CA. Maybe she can give everyone a contemporary hair cut, for free.
Is it possible to be more petty and superficial?
Does fiorina know she looks like a dyke. If someone told her she looked good, they lied!
Has she looked in the mirror????? She looks like Pat from Saturday Night Live without glasses
Meeeow! In the grand scheme, this comment doesn't matter nearly as much as Fiorina's failures at HP, unwillingness to work with others to solve problems, and/or her extreme right-wing views.
Does she understand that she is going to be a part of group and must play as a team member (this team being the US Senate)? I don't think that she does. Just because she was a CEO doesn't mean that she will be a good Senator in the US Senate.
She has proved that she, like most GOOPERS, has not a serious bone in her body when it comes to everyday people.
They always regret what they do after they have been caught!! Just look at Bush and cheney!!
If she can make fun of Boxers hair, does that mean Boxer gets to make fun of her nose? And really, Fiorina should really take a look at her own hair before criticizing others, unless she is going for the man look?
So...she went on Fox to do a mea culpa......blah blah blah. I'll bet they had some hard hitting follow ups for her......
The real issue is why anyone would think a failed executive who got caught spying on her employees and nearly bankrupted a high tech icon is a good choice for office? Of course given that the republicons so recently gave us a filaed business executive who bankrupted a string of oil companies - how big of a taard do you have to be to not make money on oil????- as their presidential candidate it is no surprise I suppose. They sure can pick em.
The only thing I can possibly say is has this woman ever looked intoa mirror herself.
Aside from the fact that HP fired her for almost ruining the company so why would California hire her for anything?
How about looking in the mirror??? Or is that what you really meant to say?????????
what a politician! "I was just quoting someone else- wasn't me." God bless the spineless. Just what the Senate needs.
What is pathetic is that when she was (a terrible) CEO of Hewlett Packard, whe was severely criticized for taking along her hairdresser on the corporate jet.