Schwarzenegger apologizes to women for behavior

[Chewbacca]

I wonder what the exact behavior is that he describes as playful?


http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/02/recall.main/

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Facing allegations that he groped women in incidents dating back over three decades, Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger apologized Thursday for behaving "badly," but described his actions as "playful." Schwarzenegger, the leading candidate in California's gubernatorial recall race, addressed the allegations in the wake of a front-page story in the Los Angeles Times that detailed accusations from six women who charge that the actor-turned-politician inappropriately touched them. In comments to supporters as he kicked off a four-day bus tour, Schwarzenegger dismissed the report as "trash politics," but he then went on to apologize. "Yes, I have behaved badly sometimes, yes it is true that I was on rowdy movie sets ... and I have done things I thought were playful that now I recognize that I have offended people," Schwarzenegger said. He added, "I am deeply sorry about that and I apologize." The allegations came less than a week before the October 7 recall and as polls indicate growing support for Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger was kicking off his bus tour in San Diego and traveling north through the state over the next four days. For his part, Davis was due to appear with Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a continuation of his effort to portray the recall as part of a broader GOP campaign to challenge elections they lost. Davis was re-elected to a second term in November, but his popularity has plummeted as the state deals with a budget crunch and lackluster economy. "If we come together and unite against this recall, we will beat back this power grab and send a message form California to Crawford, Texas, to the White House: We are not going to stand for a Republican power grab," Davis said Wednesday at a rally with Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark. Come Tuesday, California voters will decide whether to boot Davis out of office, and, on the second part of the ballot, they will pick from 135 names for a replacement should the recall succeed. The question of whether to recall Davis will be decided by a majority of votes, but his successor -- if there is one -- only needs to pick up a plurality of votes. In a show of increasing confidence, Schwarzenegger, the leading candidate in the polls, has begun talking about his plans for the state. He said Wednesday that, if elected, his first move as California governor would be to repeal the state's car tax. He laid out a plan for his first 100 days as governor that besides the car tax repeal includes steps to freeze spending and audit the state budget. Schwarzenegger also vowed to streamline educational programs and roll back pension increases for state employees, and the audience gave him a standing ovation when he promised to repeal a law allowing illegal immigrants to receive state driver's licenses. "My message is this: We are ready to take office, take action. We are ready to return California to the people," Schwarzenegger said Wednesday. The unpopular car tax, which took effect Wednesday, tripled registration fees for many California drivers. The increase was part of Davis' plan to try to close the state's budget deficit, but the public anger it provoked helped boost the recall against him. In the wake of a Los Angeles Times poll showing his campaign slipping, Davis released a new radio ad featuring former President Clinton and appeared in Los Angeles alongside the newest Democratic presidential contender, former NATO commander Wesley Clark. The embattled governor also stands to benefit from the withdrawal from the race of independent Arianna Huffington, who is urging her supporters to vote against the recall. The Times poll, published Wednesday, showed 56 percent of likely voters support recalling Davis. Schwarzenegger led the pack of potential replacements with the support of 40 percent of likely voters. Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante trailed Schwarzenegger with 32 percent in the poll. GOP state Sen. Tom McClintock had 15 percent. The previous Times poll, in mid-September, found 50 percent of voters would recall Davis and 47 percent would keep him in office -- a statistical dead heat. That poll showed Schwarzenegger trailing Bustamante by 30 percent to 25 percent, with McClintock at 18. Wednesday's poll mirrors the trends in a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released over the weekend that showed only 35 percent of probable voters would vote to keep Davis in office. That poll showed Schwarzenegger with 40 percent support among replacement candidates, with Bustamante at 25 percent and McClintock at 18.

[BaRoN NiGhT]

What a tragedy!I just read about it this morning on the local newspaper. I wonder if the women really didn't like Arnold's behaviour [img]graemlins/showoff.gif[/img] .

[Chewbacca]

This article details the some of the specific incidences that are being claimed:


Note it contains rather explicit details of the alleged sexual harassment and was reported before the apology.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/...988349939.html

[ 10-03-2003, 04:46 AM: Message edited by: Chewbacca ]

[Timber Loftis]

Oh frikkin god. Lemme tell you what, if you ever brought me a Mr. Universe who wasn't an ass-grabbin' kind of guy, I'd tell you to bring in a real man. This is who he is: Mr. Jock Butt-pincher who matured. Seems fine to me. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Sir Taliesin]

Didn't most, if not all of this stuff happen like well over a decade ago? Who cares now! I'm sure Maria has him well in hand now... maybe that wasn't the best statement in the world, but oh well!

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by Sir Taliesin: Didn't most, if not all of this stuff happen like well over a decade ago? Who cares now! I'm sure Maria has him well in hand now... maybe that wasn't the best statement in the world, but oh well!

[img]graemlins/1drinkspit.gif[/img] It's too early for that! [img]graemlins/whackya.gif[/img]

What I like about this is the character it shows. No ducking or dodging or lying. Just a, "yep, I did it... I was wrong, and I'm sorry." I respect it a ton. Everyone has "issues" their opponents can throw at them -- and I have seen no example of one being handled in a better fashion.

[ 10-03-2003, 10:17 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

[pritchke]

Originally posted by Sir Taliesin: Didn't most, if not all of this stuff happen like well over a decade ago? Who cares now! I'm sure Maria has him well in hand now... maybe that wasn't the best statement in the world, but oh well!

My thoughts exactly, however the competition cares, and this is politics. So if you enter politics prepare to have some dirt tossed your way even if it is true or not.

[ 10-03-2003, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

[Sir Taliesin]

Oh, I think he expected all this would come out. I watched him on the Leno Show when he announced he was running and he said then that we would hear all sorts of things about women and such. He was laying the ground work then for all this stuff coming out. I think for this to do any real damage to him, it should have come out sooner. After all the election is next week.

[Chewbacca]

The allegations span the last three decades and the latest alleged incident occured in 2000. Some of them have been reported before the whole recall fiasco.
Sounds like on-going behavior to me. He did say things got rowdy on movie-sets, so obviously he was refering to his post-bodybuilding days.

I dont know why anyone would excuse leacherous behavior just because someone is a bodybuilder, an actor, or a politician. I can understand calling these allegations politically motivated, but why excuse the behavior just because of that.

Quite surreal I think, about the apology. In the same breathe he seemed to both deny any wrongdoing and then immediately owed up to behavior which was deemed bad enough to required an apology. Huh?

The most vocal Arnie-opponent was Cruz Bustamante, who read the Penal Code for Sexual Harrassment. Its a misdemeanor in California.

[Timber Loftis]

Puh-lease. How many times a day do you see what is technically sexual harrassment occuring in your office? I'm always joking about it with my coworkers, because I observe stuff that is technically improper all the time. BTW, unless Arnie is the BOSS of the person being harrassed, it ain't sexual harrassment. So, except in the movies he produces/directs, I doubt there is any legally-actionable harrassment.

Read my above post. I'll take up for him.

Besides, if this is the worst they can dig up on him, he goes on my list of world's cleanest politicians.

I respect the way he handled it. Head-on. I didn't hear him say he did nothing wrong. I think he's trying to say what we all know: that there is a fine line between playful flirting and forcing yourself too much. He apologizes for unwittingly possibly crossing that line a few (or several) times over the years.