Gov. Barbarian?
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Schwarzenegger owes fuller response to allegations
October 7, 2003
freep.com
If half of what has been reported about Arnold Schwarzenegger is true, and more than half appears credible, the guy who may wake up Wednesday as the new governor of California was, or is, a serial molester of women.
It could be "is," because while some of the complaints about him go back a decade or more, one of the allegations is from the year 2000 -- and because there is nothing in his authorized or unauthorized biographies to suggest Schwarzenegger ever underwent any kind of treatment to address abusive, if not criminal, behavior toward women.
Schwarzenegger has issued a blanket acknowledgement and apology for what he says was some bad conduct going back 20-30 years to his days as a world champion bodybuilder. But late in his now-frantic run for his first elective office, the super macho movie hero has declined to address anything more specific. Schwarzenegger has brought out his wife to defend him and has unleashed his public relations machine to discredit some of his accusers and attack the media for reporting the complaints. Not very heroic, but quite political.
Meantime, some in the crowds defending and cheering Republican Schwarzenegger and hoping he can capture this important office for the GOP are some of the same folks you heard screaming for Democrat Bill Clinton's hide over his sexual fling with a young White House intern. Oh well, that was a different time and a different coast, eh?
Whatever happens in today's election, the Terminator owes his considerable public more accountability than he has offered to date on a serious issue. |
