Gubernatorial front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged that he has "behaved badly" to women and offered an apology Thursday.
Schwarzenegger's remarks, as he kicked off a four-day bus tour of the state in the final days of the recall campaign, came after a Los Angeles Times story published Thursday in which six women accused him of sexually harassing and groping them.
"When I am governor I want to prove to the women that I will be a champion for the women, a champion of the women," Schwarzenegger said at a rally in San Diego. "Now let's go from the dirty politics to the future of California."
The crowd of Schwarzenegger supporters interrupted him with cheers.
Schwarzenegger said: "Yes, it is true that I was on rowdy movie sets and I have done things that were not right which I thought then was playful but now I recognize that I offended people."
"Those people that I have offended, I want to say to them I am deeply sorry about that and I apologize because that's not what I'm trying to do," he said.
The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that six women it interviewed said the Republican actor touched them in a sexual manner without their consent on movie sets and in other settings. The Times said the unwanted fondling and groping allegedly occurred as far back as 1975 and as recently as 2000.
None of the women who spoke with the Times filed legal action against the actor. Two of the six were named.
Schwarzenegger spokesman Sean Walsh had denied the women's allegations in comments to the Times, saying the actor had not engaged in improper conduct toward women. Walsh said the claims were a political attack in the days leading up to the Oct. 7 recall election.
"We believe Democrats and others are using this to try to hurt Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign," Walsh said. "We believe that this is coming so close before the election, something that discourages good, hard-working, decent people from running for office."
In San Diego to kick off a weekend-long bus tour of the state, Schwarzenegger took the stage to chants of "Arnold, Arnold" and immediately addressed the Times story.
Without mentioning specifics, he admitted to wrongdoing and apologized.
"This morning they have begun with the tearing down ... I know, I know the people of California will see through this trash politics," he said.
"A lot of the stuff in the story is not true ... but I have to say that where there's smoke there's fire," he said.
Before Schwarzenegger's remarks, several in the crowd of supporters at the San Diego Convention Center said they didn't believe the article and didn't think it would affect his campaign.
"I think it's baloney," said Kendall DePascal, 41, a marketing specialist from San Diego. "You know what, he worked on a movie set. You encounter people who make claims about you right and left. I don't believe it at all."
Outside the center, two Democratic Party activists protested. One held up the front page of the Los Angeles Times with the article on the alleged harassment.
Three of the women told the Times that Schwarzenegger grabbed their breasts. Another said he reached under her skirt and grabbed her buttocks.
Another woman said Schwarzenegger tried to remove her bathing suit in a hotel elevator, and the sixth said Schwarzenegger pulled her onto his lap and asked whether a certain sexual act had ever been performed on her.
According to the accounts, the first incident occurred in the 1970s, the next two were in the 1980s, followed by two more in the 1990s and one in 2000.
A spokesman for Gov. Gray Davis said the governor's campaign was not involved in publicizing any of the accusations, and the Times said it did not locate the women with the help of any of Schwarzenegger's opponents.
Three of the women who spoke on condition of anonymity said being named could jeopardize their careers; another feared public ridicule or harm to her husband's business.
Schwarzenegger's alleged past indiscretions have been an issue in the campaign since he announced his bid for governor. Much of the controversy has surrounded a 1977 interview in Oui magazine in which Schwarzenegger talked about engaging in group sex. The actor has previously said he didn't remember it.
On Tuesday, a new Los Angeles Times poll showed Schwarzenegger had support from 40 percent of likely voters in the recall election. Democrat Lt. Gov. Bustamante had 32 percent, and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock had 15 percent.
The poll also showed the effort to oust Davis succeeding, 56 percent to 42 percent. That marked a shift from a Sept. 12 Times poll that found 50 percent in favor of recalling Davis and 47 percent opposed. The latest poll surveyed 815 likely voters Sept. 25-29 and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The earlier poll had found Bustamante leading with 30 percent to Schwarzenegger's 25 percent. McClintock had 18 percent.
McClintock, who has promised to remain in the race despite urging from some Republicans to drop out, said he would support Schwarzenegger's efforts in Sacramento if the actor won the election.
"I actually personally like the guy," McClintock said in Thursday's Los Angeles Times. "But I am very skeptical of the team he has surrounded himself with."
What I have an EXTREMELY hard time with is this....
If Arnold sexually assulted ANYONE... he has been a VERY WELL KNOWN public figure for many years. They would have surfaced way before now!!!
My personal feelings is that Gray Davis is sending out some really bad dirt, like he did against Diane Finestein years back... he's trying to play dirty and get the focus off of him and the fact that he's just tripled all of California vehicle tax. People are PISSED OFF with him regarding this... and he doesn't want the heat.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Originally posted by KJ What I have an EXTREMELY hard time with is this....
If Arnold sexually assulted ANYONE... he has been a VERY WELL KNOWN public figure for many years. They would have surfaced way before now!!!
My personal feelings is that Gray Davis is sending out some really bad dirt, like he did against Diane Finestein years back... he's trying to play dirty and get the focus off of him and the fact that he's just tripled all of California vehicle tax. People are PISSED OFF with him regarding this... and he doesn't want the heat.
It is just TYPICAL DEMOCRATIC TRASH POLITICS. Gray Davis, Art Torres and the rest of the DNC can all go to hell. A bunch of foul mouth immature people who will do anything to tarnish the images of people with pure speculation and unsubstantiated allegations. I personally want to punch Art Torres in the face right now because he is on my TV and won't shut up. Bye.
Oh give me a break!! If these allegations by these women about Arnold are true then tell me why they didn't come forward when it happened? Why did they wait years before they said anything? Any normal woman knows that if a man touches you inappropriately you report it immediately. You don't wait!! You want this person to pay for what they did...Come on!! The only reason these women are bringing these alleged allegations now is to cause harm to Arnold and his family and to get publicity for themselves. You should be ashamed of yourselves!! Give it a rest!! I know besides myself there are many, many people sick of hearing about this!!!
10-02-2003 07:00 PM
