Arnie's ballot ratings go up despite allegations

Published on 04/10/2003 01:00

DECLARING that "the people know my character," Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger struggled yesterday to put allegations of sexual misconduct and Nazi sympathies behind him as more women came forward to accuse him of making unwanted sexual advances.

On the second day of a four-day bus tour through California followed by 220 journalists, Republican Schwarzenegger tried to keep to his script of bringing change to Sacramento following a day spent fending off questions about his past.

"I will always stay focused because the fight continues," the movie star told a crowd under grey skies at a Los Angeles-area arboretum.

In an interview with television reporters, Mr Schwarzenegger said: "The people know what my character is, they’ve seen my work over the past 20 years" and he cited his work with the Special Olympics and the Inner City games.

Women’s groups held protests around the state urging Mr Schwarzenegger to drop out of the race as new allegations of groping surfaced from nationally syndicated radio host Joy Browne.

Los Angeles television station KABC reported that despite the controversy, Mr Schwarzenegger was gaining in its poll, picking up 2 percentage points to reach 40 per cent support, leading the pack of replacement candidates.

ABC News and the New York Times reported on Wednesday that Mr Schwarzenegger was quoted in the transcript of a 1975 interview as having said he admired the charisma and power of Adolf Hitler. At a late-night meeting with reporters, Mr Schwarzenegger said he always despised Hitler and the Nazis and could not imagine having ever made such comments.

Polls show Californians solidly want to oust Democratic governor Gray Davis, whom they blame for the state’s lacklustre economy, in Tuesday’s recall election. A Field poll found 57 per cent favouring a recall against Davis. Among replacement candidates, 36 per cent preferred Mr Schwarzenegger to 26 per cent for Democrat Cruz Bustamante, California’s lieutenant governor.