BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Women's groups and religious leaders worked feverishly Friday to galvanize opposition to Arnold Schwarzenegger after he acknowledged treating women badly and was accused of telling an interviewer he admired Adolf Hitler.

A coalition of women's groups met at the Feminist Majority offices here to unveil an anti-Schwarzenegger ad campaign and introduce a former TV network intern who said the gubernatorial candidate groped her when she showed him around a sound stage 25 years ago.

She was one of several women - including radio psychologist Dr. Joy Browne - to come forward Friday with new allegations Schwarzenegger groped or made inappropriate comments to them. The allegations echo complaints made by other women against the Republican front-runner in the election to recall Gov. Gray Davis.

Criticism also poured in from religious leaders and the state's top Democrats for remarks attributed to the actor in 1975 that he admired Hitler's ability to rise from humble beginnings. Schwarzenegger also played Nazi marches and mimicked SS officers, according to the director of the 1975 bodybuilding documentary "Pumping Iron."

"To express admiration for a person directly responsible for the death of tens of millions of people during World War II is beyond comprehension," said Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., the only Holocaust survivor in Congress. "I think it probably ends any political ambition he may have had."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called praise for Hitler "appalling" and Davis said it was "unconscionable."

On Thursday Schwarzenegger acknowledged and apologized for having "behaved badly sometimes" around women, but said he could not imagine saying anything positive about Hitler, whom he said he despised.

On Friday, the second day of his four-day bus tour of the state, as more women came forward to claim sexual misconduct, the actor ignored the allegations, and some his supporters laughed them off.

"He can grope me," one woman shouted at a campaign stop in Santa Clarita. Some supporters held signs reading: "Gray Davis groped me ... While reaching for my wallet."

When his microphone failed at one point, he quipped that the news media might be to blame, quickly adding he could get away with such a remark because his wife, Maria Shriver, is a journalist.

Representatives of the Feminist Majority, National Organization for Women, CodePink and other women's groups said they were organizing demonstrations around the state.

"Arnold Schwarzenegger has an appalling record of disrespect and abuse of women," said Joan Blades, co-founder of MoveOn.org, an Internet-based political action group that paid for the new television ad unveiled at the women's coalition news conference. "It would be a disgrace to women and a disgrace to all the people of California if he became governor."

The Los Angeles Times quoted six women on Thursday - two by name and four anonymously - who said Schwarzenegger had groped or sexually harassed them during separate incidents between 1975 and 2000.

Browne told "Inside Edition" Friday that Schwarzenegger groped her ankles and knees during an interview in the 1970s.

As more women came forward, Schwarzenegger campaign spokesman Todd Harris said one of the accusers was a member of a union that opposes Schwarzenegger.

"So here we have the first direct fingerprint of Democratic involvement in this last-minute anti-Arnold sleaze campaign," Harris said.

The San Diego Union-Tribune, which has endorsed Schwarzenegger's candidacy, said in a Friday editorial that the sexual allegations raise serious questions that must be addressed further. Representatives of several women's groups said they would call for a criminal investigation, though none of the women filed complaints about the alleged groping.

Stories by ABC News and The New York Times said the actor told an interviewer during the filming of "Pumping Iron" that he admired Hitler's rise to power and wished he could have experienced the thrill Hitler must have had in speaking to huge audiences who agreed with everything he said.

The news organizations said the remarks were contained in transcripts from a book proposal made by "Pumping Iron" director George Butler.

In West Los Angeles, leaders of Jewish, black and Muslim community groups called a news conference Friday to denounce the Hitler report.

"There is a chance that a man who admires Adolf Hitler could be the next governor of California," said Scott Svonkin, Southern California chairman of the B'nai B'rith Center for Public Policy.

Jona Goldrich, who said he escaped from the Nazis at age 14, said an apology in this case wouldn't be adequate.

"There is no room for apology, to praise someone who killed 6 1/2 million Jews," said Goldrich, 76.

Amber Bowden, 19, said in San Bernardino that she voted for Schwarzenegger by absentee ballot but wishes she could take her vote back in light of the allegations. That's impossible, said San Bernardino County Registrar Scott Konopasek.

"It lowers my esteem of him," said Bowden, who was voting in her first election. "It might affect his ability to lead the state."

"Arnold Schwarzenegger". The Sex Crazed, Womanizing, Pill Popping, Nazi Android from the future. Sent here to saddle your children with the deficit from HELL!

"~~Arnold Schwarzenegger~~ Bill Clinton has an appalling record of disrespect and abuse of women," said Joan Blades, co-founder of MoveOn.org, an Internet-based political action group that paid for the new television ad unveiled at the women's coalition news conference. "It would be a disgrace to women and a disgrace to all the people of ~~California~~ America if he became ~~governor~~ President."

There, that's better.

Well, insignificant, pumped-up little zealots like the moveon.org crowd can afford to carry on this way - it's expected. But Lantos and Feinstein are in another category. The guy they're slamming may just be the next Governor, and payback's a b!tch...

Holy sh*t...somebody find a picture of claymation babe "Gwendolyn" from the Wallace and Gromit movies - this chick is a dead wringer.

The women (calling them ladies is to nice) should get a life.I just wonder how much money Gumby & Busty or maybe the tribes are paying these females to tell their story.
I am begining to understand why people stays home and not vote.
With slime and law suits its not worth the trouble when you are going against the dems.
Arnold don't need this job but Davis wants to keep his office so he can shake out a few more people.

Women's groups ...worked feverishly Friday to galvanize opposition to Arnold Schwarzenegger after he acknowledged treating women badly

Amazing. They did all this and got a commercial going in less than 24 hours. But... they couldn't see fit to get one against Clintoon in two years??? Strange isn't it?

28 posted on 10/03/2003 10:16:12 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)

The Hitler idolization references bother me. They were taken out of context.

Though I'm voting for McClintock, I don't like dirty politics. That's all the more reason to speak out against this cheap shot on Arnold. It's the proper behavior when someone, friend or foe is wrongly attacked.

This has been a fairly respectable campaign up until now.

Hi. I'm Amber Bowden, and I would just like to let all of you know that my comments were taken and completely twisted. First of all, I told the idiot who called and interviewed me that I did not think this would affect Arnold's leadership, and I also told him I wouldn't have changed my vote just because of these allegations and did not ask him if there was a way to take my vote back. I wrote a letter to the paper that he called from, but they never deemed it necessary to respond, so I just wanted to let the few people I can reach know that it's not true. Thanks for your time!

31 posted on 05/06/2004 2:03:40 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)

I agree, but there doesn't seem to be much that I can do about it now! I just wanted to let the people who might visit this website know, so at least a few will know the truth! Thank you for your response!

Thanks for letting us know Amber.

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