Schwarzenegger Acknowledges 'Offensive' Behavior

nytimes ^ | 10/2/03 | RepublicanWizard

[republicanwizard]

AN DIEGO (AP) -- 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.

[Sabertooth]

He had no choice but to admit it, because it's true.

SAN DIEGO - 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.
AP LINK

Now the question remains...

Was that the last shoe to drop?

[Sabertooth]

He had no choice but to admit it, because it's true.

SAN DIEGO - 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.
AP LINK

Now the question remains...

Was that the last shoe to drop?

[AmishDude]

Admit to what? 20 years ago he felt some woman on the butt? He wouldn't remember any specific moments, nor should he. (What's next? "Arnold was rude to a woman at a party in 1985. More at 11.") He's admitted this sort of thing before, generally.

[Sabertooth]

He had no choice but to admit it, because it's true.

SAN DIEGO - 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.
AP LINK

Now the question remains...

Was that the last shoe to drop?

[twigs]

I certainly didn't think they were necessarily false. But the article contained no proof, nor did it name the women. I never like unamed sources. Plus, I don't like the all-out assualts I'm seeing on Republicans this week. So I have to weigh alternatives. What are the better options? I may not like my options, but I try to consider them fairly and consider who is trying to destroy them and why.

[over3Owithabrain]

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.

So Ah-nold just made his spokesman out to be a liar.
Niiiiice...

[twigs]

I certainly didn't think they were necessarily false. But the article contained no proof, nor did it name the women. I never like unnamed sources. Plus, I don't like the all-out assaults I'm seeing on Republicans this week. So I have to weigh alternatives. What are the better options? I may not like my options, but I try to consider them fairly and consider who is trying to destroy them and why.

[Ichneumon]

Unbelievably stupid admission

No, it's brilliant.

What got Clinton in trouble: His escapades, or his attempts to spin/deny/lie/coverup about it?

[Sir Gawain]

Why was this removed from Breaking News? Curious...

[TBall]

The powers that be are going insane. WMD, Arnold, Rush, and the WH CIA leaker... I figure we found WMD in Iraq a long time ago, but it goes against the script for this to be known. I wonder if it has already been decided that Bush will lose the election to Clark?

[Sir Gawain]

Why was this removed from Breaking News? Curious...

[Sir Gawain]

Why was this removed from Breaking News? Curious...

[AmishDude]

The short answer is, yes that's the last shoe to drop. (Is it a shoe? More like a worn sock.) If the news hits after 6 pacific, it will get lost in the weekend news cycle. It would have to be titanic to break through that. Dirt Dump Day is always the Thursday before the election.

[B Knotts]

You are correct. Now that the story is out there, the way to deal with it is head on. Tell the truth, and let the chips fall where they may.

[Lijahsbubbe]

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."

He was on a rowdy movie set, he didn't know it was wrong! You know, a rowdy movie set!

[buffyt]

That is why on the poll I say STILL WITH McCLINTOCK!

---

After the big debate, have you changed your mind about who you support for Governor of California?
Still with McClintock
Still with Schwarzenegger
Changed to McClintock
Changed to Schwarzenegger
Other

[Sabertooth]

*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.

**So Ah-nold just made his spokesman out to be a liar.
Niiiiice...

Who, Sean Walsh?

Jones said Schwarzenegger explained that he had studied the measure and determined it was a "no-brainer" to oppose it. Schwarzenegger went on to say he believed it important that public schools be able to identify minority children to help "bring them up to the starting line. And if the right-wing crazies have a problem with that, so be it."

Sean Walsh, a spokesman for Schwarzenegger, said Tuesday that the exchange "never happened."

"Someone did ask him his position on Proposition 54, and he expressed his concerns about the health-care aspects and educational aspects," Walsh said. "With regard to any additional comments, they never happened."

< -snip- >

Walsh called the timing of the allegation suspicious, as it comes a few days before a statewide Republican convention in Los Angeles that opens Friday.

"Let's be candid," Walsh said. "We are going into a Republican convention and there are those who don't necessarily support Mr. Schwarzenegger who are trying to get attention."
Ventura County Star – September 10th, 2003

That Sean Walsh?

[onedoug]

I see the difference between gratefully learning, as opposed to enhancing evil.

[B Knotts]

*chuckle*

Looks like there might be some Team Arnold members working Admin Moderator duties this morning.

This is definitely Breaking News. If it isn't, I don't know what is.

[KevinDavis]

That is true, had Arnold lied about it and then later found it was true, well then my opinion of him would go down. Clinton should have just said yes I did have a relationship with that girl that would have been the end of it.