Posted on 10/02/2003 5:44:45 AM PDT by foolscap
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six women who met Arnold Schwarzenegger on movie sets and other places over the last three decades say he groped them, the Los Angeles Times said on Thursday. In interviews with the Times, three of the women described their surprise and discomfort when Schwarzenegger grabbed their breasts. A fourth said he reached under her skirt and gripped her buttocks.
A fifth woman said Schwarzenegger groped her and tried to remove her bathing suit in a hotel elevator, while a sixth said Schwarzenegger pulled her onto his lap and asked whether a certain sexual act had ever been performed on her.
Schwarzenegger is the leading Republican candidate in California's recall election for governor.
"Did he rape me? No," said one woman, who described a 1980 encounter in which she said Schwarzenegger touched her breast. "Did he humiliate me? You bet he did."
According to the newspaper, none of the women who discussed their encounters with the former body builder said they filed any legal action against him.
Schwarzenegger's campaign spokesman, Sean Walsh, said the candidate has not engaged in improper conduct toward women, and that such allegations are part of an escalating political attack on Schwarzenegger as the recall election approaches.
"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."
The Times did not learn of any of the six women from Schwarzenegger's rivals in the recall race, and none of the women approached the newspaper on her own. Reporters contacted them in the course of a six-week examination of Schwarzenegger's behavior toward women on and off the movie set.
The Times said Schwarzenegger's attitudes about women have been an issue during the campaign, with critics accusing him of being misogynistic, based on past statements he has made to various publications.
Schwarzenegger has said he respects women and that many of his comments were made in jest or simply meant to be provocative.
The LA Times, as the only major paper in So. Cal, is arrogant with power.
I have another theory: it is to provide cover for vote fraud, by providing an excuse for a mysterious drop in votes for a candidate who was expected to win. (See the George Bush DUI as Example Number One.)
I think the Rats are going to try to rig the election, and this story give them an excuse for a drop in Arnold's numbers. They will switch votes to McClintock in just the same way they tried to claim Buchanan votes for Gore in Florida.
If I were in California, I would darn sure have poll watchers everywhere I could.
I was just stunned to see such clear evidence that they shopped around for a hit piece on Schwarzeneggar.
Thats right. It seems that 99% of the outrage over Bill Clinton's white trash behavior was because he was a demoRat.
Republican's like Arnold get a free groping pass, not to mention a dope smoking and gang-banging pass as well!
How much press did the media give Juanita in her 20 year old claim of rape by the president? [crickets....]
The libs have no credibility here.
You know, I've been wondering about this for a while now. The Dems are getting so predictable in these things, it's time for a new strategery.
We need to do an analysis of every last-minute smear that's been done in the last few election cycles, and get an average date. Then, we run an inoculation ad campaign. 30 doays before the date, we run half-page newspaper ads announcing "30 days until the democrat smear campaign against XXXX..." and highlight the past abuses.
Then, run a new ad, television AND print, every day until smear day, warning that it's coming.
Anybody remember in 1994 at the Oscars when David Letterman introduced Tim Robbins and Susan Serandon saying, "listen closely...I'm sure they're pissed off about something..." They were speechless, and abandoned whatever soapbox speech they had prepared. It's time to do the same to the rats. Out them.
I see one parallel. Clinton and Schwarzenegger are both alleged to have both groped women at some point in their lives. Have you ever done that ?
Because liberal women are always rendered "voiceless" by their oppressors...
I think most of the outrage over Bill Clinton centered on corruption, abuse of power, and sexual assault in office as an Attorney General or President. The serial adultery also offended people. The lying under oath and obstruction of justice forced action.
Cybill Shephard? And she got it from the same maid who claims she was so oppressed by Rush's demands for drugs.. ?
On the other hand, by her own admission, Davis hosed Cybil Shepherd.
Now I ask you, which is the bigger crime: allegedly groping six faceless women, or hosing a skanky, washed up "actress" who got where she is by sleeping with a certain director (Norman Polanski?) when underage?
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