Mitt's defense of Arnold's antics: He's just like Ted K

[semass]

"Sex, politics and the California recall circus rocked the Bay State yesterday as Gov. Mitt Romney compared sexual harrassment charges hounding Arnold Schwarzenegger to ``rumors'' about Sen. Edward M. Kennedy."



http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/arno10032003.htm

[E_Zapata]

1. whoa - kennedy may have a colorful past.....

but as far as I know, it was all consensual.

Arnold is a PREDATOR, a deviant, and a very violent man.

This has nothing to do with sex.

Ask Maria, she knows. Surely she does.

(these last couple of days, I flashback to the Oprah sycophant fest and think about how Maria and Arnold explained how they explained to their CHILDREN that politics is dirty and people are going to say some untrue things about 'daddy.' Now Arnold has had to admit this stuff. How will they explain it to the children? Will Oprah be having a special show to faciliate that? Those kids can't go to school tomorrow. They absolutely can't go to school tomorrow. and Arnold, and probably Maria, knew all of this stuff was true. THEY have knowingly and neglectfully subjected their kids to this -- unnecessarily. Where is Gloria Allred when we need her; get those kids away from those awful parents.)

[izzie]

4. He must be a Dem with all this sex stuff.

GOP it is all done underground and lied about.Then they usually have trouble with the wimp thing, if I recall right.

[KayLaw]

8. Thank you

It's nice to see there are others who understand the difference between sexual excapades and the crime of sexual battery, not to mention the difference between rumors and undisputed facts.

[robbedvoter]

2. Ja, Ted admires Hitler too, non?

Awm that was only on the groping thingy. Must find liberal who admired Hitler to compare Arnold to...Let's see...Errol Flynn? Walt Disney? Carl Lindberg?

[punpirate]

3. Romney's an asshole...

... and I think the people in Massachusetts are beginning to figure out that they were dummies for voting for him.

Give him a few days when he starts comparing Ahnold to Clinton....

Cheers.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

24. The people in Massachusetts

should have voted for the person FROM Massachusetts. This is what they get, and hopefully Romney will be "recalled" in '06.
MITT IS A SHIT

[roguevalley]

5. I suppose he would know about sex.

wasn't romney born in a polygamy colony?

[meegbear]

6. I hate Romney ....

We should get a recall intintive on the ballot so when dicks like him get into office, we can toss 'em out.

[realFedUp]

7. Maybe Mitt should check the Penal Code for Mass.

bet sexual battery there comes with a penalty
like it does in California.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. Maybe Romney needs to be told how people fee about that...

...all across the country. Ask Romney if he really thinks Ted Kennedy ever had to stoop to the level of Arnold.

While you're at it, ask Romney if he really supports a Republican with the views noted in this article:

"While Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to quickly quash new allegations that he had sexually harassed six women over the past 30 years, the Hollywood actor also had to confront new reports Thursday that he once expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

ABC News and the New York Times said they obtained a transcript of an interview Schwarzenegger did in 1975 in which he lauded the Nazi leader.

'I admire Hitler, for instance, because he came from being a little man with almost no formal education up to power,' they quoted him as saying. 'I admire him for being such a good public speaker and for what he did with it.'

Schwarzenegger is quoted as saying he wished he could have an experience `'like Kennedy had, you know, to speak to maybe 50,000 people at one time and having them cheer, or like Hitler in the Nuremberg stadium. And have all those people scream at you and just being in total agreement with whatever you say.'"

....snip...

"But the issue could haunt the candidate, since his late father was a member of the Nazi Party in Austria. Schwarzenegger made similar comments in a 1974 Rolling Stone profile when he talked about his aspirations as a young man."

Front-runner lauded Hitler in '75 remark, reports say
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/6922979.htm

Massachusetts Governor Milt Romney
State House
Office of the Governor
Boston, MA 02133
Fax:[phone]
Tel:[phone]
email: [e-mail]
web: http://www.mass.gov/protal/index.jsp?pageID=aghome&agid=gov

[bleedingheart]

10. The Difference is that Dems get women willingly ...Repubs grab

breasts and scare women...

[IndianaGreen]

11. Tell that to Juanita Brodderick

there was nothing "willing" about her being groped by Big Dog.

Sexual double-standards are not a Republican monopoly!

[TAH6988]

12. Ouch...N/T

[KayLaw]

13. Sorry

There may be facts here I don't know, and I just did a Google search, but was Bill Clinton convicted of raping or molesting Broderick, or did he admit to it? There's a woman who swears George W. Bush of rape but I won't call him a rapist until he's convicted or admits to it.

[TAH6988]

14. Point is, several women accused Clinton

of sexual assault. Same as serveral women accused Ahnold. Who's guilty of what, I don't know. And until it is proved, I don't care. Allegations are just that--allegations.

[KayLaw]

15. I can't agree

Arnold did confess and that's the difference I see.

[TAH6988]

17. To what did he confess?

Can you name a specific?

[demdave]

20. Your right, he didn't go on TV and point his finger at me and lie

like Clinton did. I will never forget or forgive that. For me to believe and defend a sitting president, especially after being assured on national TV, and then to find out I had supported a lie has left an indelible impression on me.

[Justice]

23. Huge Difference - Consensual

Don't mix apples and oranges. Clinton lied about consensual sex. Arnold admitted doing wrong - ie assault.

I share your anger at Clinton's lie, but don't put him in the same category as Arnold.

[TAH6988]

28. What assault did he admit to?

Which SPECIFIC ASSAULT did he admit to committing?

[KayLaw]

25. Fine

But he did pay for doing that to us when he was impeached. I believe Arnold should pay for his crimes. Confessing to a crime does not make it go away, it simply eliminates the need for a trial so we can move along to the sentencing phase. He confessed to make it all go away and I don't think he should be allowed to get away with it.
I confess, I have a personal hatred for rapists and molesters and think criminal charges should be filed and he should be appropriately punished.

[TAH6988]

29. To what crime

did he confess?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

45. You can ask that 100 times. IF there were NO truth to the allegations,

he would have flatly denied it and claimed it was purely political. He did not. He confessed to rowdy behavior. IF we had an actual press instead of one that enables him, they would have asked what the definition is of ROWDY behavior....rowdy behavior can mean anything from roughhousing with the guys (menial) to gratuitous flirting to ASSAULT...he got a free pass when nobody said WHAT IS "ROWDY BEHAVIOR"

[TAH6988]

48. The POINT is

By that BLANKET "admission," he admitted to nothing.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

53. NO by that blanket admission, he gave credence to the fact that

he had NO OTHER CREDIBLE means of denial.

Let's assume for a moment that he had admitted "rowdy behavior" to a DA...would that cause a DA to CLOSE the case or would that PROMPT the DA to investigate further?

[TAH6988]

59. OK then answer me a simple question...

To what did he admit? Touching? Vulgarity? Rape? To what did he admit?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

64. answer my question first...based on his admission that

ROWDY BEHAVIOR occurred, was there MORE OR LESS grounds to investigate the charges...here let me help you...if that reponse came out of Clinton's mouth....

[TAH6988]

65. Investigate what charges?

Which woman has filed a criminal or civil complaint?

[KayLaw]

66. I don't know

The specific incidents were reported by the LA Times based on their own 7-week investigation. Four of the women said Arnold grabbed their breasts or buttocks, one said he groped her and tried to remove her bathrobe and bathing suit in a hotel elevator, and a sixth said he pulled her on to his lap and asked if a man had ever slid his tongue in her ases.
Why they didn't file charges, I don't know. Why didn't reporters ask more specific questions of Arnold? Probably because he gave his little speech then hopped on his bus.
But let me tell you, if a DU moderator confronted me on this forum and said 6 other DUers had accused me of sending them sick, perverted private messages, I would turn blue in the face and yell my innocence at the top of my lungs. I WOULD NOT say, it's true I've behaved badly, done rowdy things, and apologize for the posters I offended, because innocent people don't do that.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

70. See my post 53..the only way you can prevail is rhetorical triangulating

[TAH6988]

73. Wrong

I think he did "bad" things, but I can't prove them and neither can you. He did NOT admit anything that can be used against him.

[Bridget Burke]

16. Point is, Arnold said he did it.

He's admitted to a long history of low-level groping & fondling. We're just supposed to say "That's OK!" Hey, he was just being rowdy.

Of course, if I lived in California, this latest thing would not have lost him my vote. He never would have had it in the first place.

[TAH6988]

18. He did admit

to "low-level groping & fondling?" Where?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

21. How about this from USATODAY?.....

Text of Arnold Schwarzenegger apology
<http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/state/2003-10-02-arnold-text_x.htm>

"Arnold Schwarzenegger, after allegations of groping and harassment, apologized Thursday for some past behavior. The text of his apology:
'I know that the people of California can see through this trash politics.

'Let me tell you something, let me tell you something. A lot of those that you see in the stories is not true, but at the same time, I have to tell you that I always say, that wherever there is smoke, there is fire. That is true.

So I want to say to you, yes, that I have behaved badly sometimes. 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 have offended people.

And to those people that I have offended, I want to say to them I am deeply sorry about that and I apologize because this is not what I'm trying to do.'"

Does this answer your question?

[TAH6988]

26. Clever move on his point

Apologize in a general way, admit to nothing. No one has any idea to what he actually admitted. Was it things he said? Things he did? Which allegations were true? Are there OTHER allegations out there that he "admitted" to? We have no idea, do we?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

33. LOL. Just keep spinning like usual.

[TAH6988]

34. Not spinning

Just saying that Ahnold will walk on this.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

37. arnie will walk into his political retirement

short as his political life was......

[TAH6988]

38. We can hope N/T

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

46. Why didn't anyone press for specifics? That is the real question

If Bill Clinton admitted to ROWDY behavior, I seriously doubt it would have stopped the inquiry at that point.

[TAH6988]

49. That's the point I am making

Without specifics, his "confession" is meaningless.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

55. No it leaves DOUBT on both sides...the side that wants to believe him

will do so HOPING nothing occurs while in office. The side that wants to believe the story will do so HOPING something does. There's something in it for everybody.

The point is...many mothers stood in that stadium with their daughters listening to that response.

[TAH6988]

61. Leaves lots of doubt...

Thats the POINT! He did not admit to any specifics and therefore, can later deny if he needs to!

[robbedvoter]

57. And I am accusing you of rape right now. There. Allegation logged

Prove you didn't do it.
This is such BS! I can't believe it that the VRWC is having still a cozy home on DU. What's the matter with you?

[TAH6988]

62. Don't have to prove I didn't do it

As I said it's just an allegation that means nothing void of any specific facts to prove it. Thanks for proving my point.

What does ANY of this have to do with the VRWC???? Gee whiz!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

19. WRONG. I guess you never read ....

..."The Hunting of the President" by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons? On page 345-346 is the following passage:

"Nor was Paula Jones the only witness called whose story was far from persuasive. With the exception of Larry Nichols, Larry Case, and Say McIntosh, virtually the whole cast of characters from the sexual side of the 'Clinton scandals' either filed affadavits or gave depositions between October 1997 and January 1998. Juanita Broaddrick had done both, adamantly insisting that the allegations made in Phillip Yoakum's widely circulated letter claiming Bill Clinton had sexually assaulted her in a Little Rock hotel in 1978 were spurious. No copies of tape recordings Yoakum claimed to have made of her allegedly confirming the charge ever materialized. Nothing surfaced that hadn't already been reported. None of the president's accusers had done very well."

I'm constantly surprised at the number of people that STILL believe the stuff that was generated by the "Arkansas Project". That project was funded by the American Spectator, and they, in turn, received their funds from Richard Mellon Scaife, the rightwing media mogul and billionaire.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

27. Tell this to IndianaGreen

Ever hear of the book "The Hunting of the President" by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons, and published in 2000 by St. Martin's Press in New York? Ever hear of the Arkansas Project, an operation funded by the American Spectator, who received their funds from Richard Mellon Scaife?

From page 345-346 of the aforementioned book:

"Nor was Paula Jones the only witness called whose story was far from persuasive. With the exception of Larry Nichols, Larry Case, and Say Mcintosh, virtually the whole cast of characters from the sexual side of the 'Clinton scandals' either filed afadavits or gave depositions between October 1997 and January 1998. Juanita Broaddrick had done both, adamantly insisting that the allegations made in Phillip Yoakum's widely circulated letter claiming Bill Clinton had sexually assaulted her in a Little Rock hotel in 1978 were spurious. No copies of tape recordings Yoakum claimed to have made of her allegedly confirming the charge ever materialized. Nothing surfaced that hadn't previously been reported. None of the president' accusers had done very well."

Webster's defines "spurious" as: "2. false; counterfeit; not genuine".

The story promoted by those associated with the Arkansas Project was completely false. But, do you really think she would have been given any television airtime to tell her side of the story during that point in time?

Please note the timing of the filing of the deposition and affadavit given by Juanita Broaddrick as sometime between October 1997 and January 1998. Clinton was president until January 2001, wasn't he?

I'm surprised that anyone, particularly if they knew about the Arkansas Project, believed ANY of the nonsense leaked to the press during Clinton's presidency.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=456048#457131

[Media_Lies_Daily]

31. Thanks! I was trying earlier to find...

...my post from yesterday! Much appreciated!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

36. Sure thing! and hopefully people will go read that whole thread

before this one gets locked. Personally, I hold tremendous bile for Romney since I am a native of the baystate and he is such a f'ing embarrassment. I can't believe he said such an idiotic thing but.... I guess he's just an idiot!

[bleedingheart]

39. Sorry but there is a big difference between Ted Kennedy

and Ahnold...

Ted may have had extramarital affairs but the women were willing participants. He may even be a flirt and it may upset repukes but I don't know of hoards of women who have come out to say that Ted is a pig like Arnold (however there are lots of repukes who resent Ted and the Kennedy attraction..)

Arnold actually has throngs of women who would be willing to screw him but he instead behaves like a pig...groping women who do not want him.

As for Brodderick based on what I have read she doesn't have a leg to stand on regarding her story, and Monica was a willing participant.

[robbedvoter]

51. Huh? And killing Vince Foster and a bunch of others?

What's with this VRWC crap on DU? Someone needs to read her Conason/David Brock before vomiting wingnut BS!

[haymaker]

67. Great post, really brought out the "you know what's"

Thanks, I was right all along about some of these folks.

Cha-ching.

[kskiska]

22. It's funny how when it's their candidate

they all of a sudden condone Clinton's (and others') behavior. Why couldn't they have been so forgiving back in 1998? Does this mean they've abandoned their morals and lowered themselves to the hated Democrats' level?

[rocktivity]

30. There's a big difference between philandering and harassment

Have you notice that even after all this time, none of Kennedy's paramours have complained?


rocknation

[TAH6988]

32. Hard for

Mary Jo to complain...

[bleedingheart]

40. The issue about that case was Ted's behavior

after the accident. I don't like the fact that he did not call the police immediately but that doesn't mean Kopekne didn't get in his car willingly to begin with...

If anything he may have been guilty of drunk driving and vehicular homicide...an entirely different issue from sexual harrassment and I would recommend starting a different thread....

[TAH6988]

42. True, not sexual harrassment

Something a lot worse.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

47. What's Mary Jo got to do with this?

For that matter what's Ted Kennedy got to do with this?

[TAH6988]

50. True

Mary Jo has nothing to do with this. I only brought it up as a POR about Kennedy's character.

BTW, the THREAD is about Kennedy and Ahnold...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

56. So why play into the Republican perspective?

If this were about Teddy Kennedy's character, it should then, by way of reference TARNISH Arnold's character much the same way BILLY Carter was used on JIMMY.

[Character Assassin]

58. Look, we'll drive off that bridge when we come to it

For that matter what's Ted Kennedy got to do with this?

He's part of the title of this thread, Ducky.

[haymaker]

69. Original.

You just think that up?

[Character Assassin]

72. Stiff

Loose your sense of humor?

[haymaker]

74. Heard it when I was 12, that's all.

I don't laugh at many knock-knock jokes anymore either. Some though.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

71. I know..I am questioning the invocation of him at all

[goforit]

35. But it doesn't make it right!!....Did his mother teach him any morals?

...obviously NOT!

[PROGRESSIVE1]

41. Romney....

a Morman or should I say Moran, is an ASSHOLE!!!!

Ted Kennedy did these things in his past! He is not doing them anymore! But when he did they were known to the public! He wasn't hiding anything!!!

[sangh0]

43. The Nader/RNC link

is that they both use the "There's no difference" argument. The only difference between Nader and the RNC is that the RNC only uses this argument when they are caught red-handed. Then, they point to a Dem and say "You see? They do it too!"

Lott's racist remark about Strom - Byrd used to be KKK
W's pal Ken Lay of Enron is a criminal - Dems took Enron money too!
Repuke Ahnold gropes women - Teddy K does it too!

[robbedvoter]

54. Brilliantly put! Ultimately both get the same result: supress voting

Everyone is bad. Then sit back, relax and laugh at the "sheeple" who don't participate. Debasing the process - it's what they both do. And, you're right: Nader&co is doing it under the guise of painting themselves as the only ones above it all whole the GOP+their media do it to excuse their piggishness ("they all do it). Just remember Enron: Nader went on TV and accused...Robert Rubin. GOP: "Dems did it too"

[sangh0]

75. BINGO!!!!!

Suppressing turnout is in the interests of BOTH the RNC and the Greens.

[lovedems]

44. It is a sad day for me

that Arnold is actually being taken seriously as a politician. I just can't believe that state of California would actually elect that man. Has California replaced Florida as our national embarrassment?

[KayLaw]

52. Really

What Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Ronald McDonald, or anybody else did doesn't matter and just confuses the issue ( which is cleary the objective here.) The fact is Arnold was accused of what amounts to sexual battery, and did not deny he committed those crimes, but, instead, admitted , albeit in a general way, to committing some of the crimes, and issued an apology.
I just want it made clear that everyone who votes for him know the message they are sending to their children and mine about our judgement of the morals of a person who would do such things and their acceptance of his behavior. I was lectured to on another site about the superiority of Republicans on the moral issues, heard repeatedly about Bill Clinton's terrible morals, that the Repblicans had a few ( like Packwood ) that were drummed out...yada, yada. And now they promote this guy. Because he " supports family." Yeah, right.

[nini]

60. Then why isn't he trashing Arnold like he does Kennedy?

oops forgot Kennedy has the big 'D' after his name.

:eyes:

[alarimer]

63. Packwood

I believe a more appropriate comparison is to Bob Packwood. Isn't it interesting how Republicans conveniently forget about him?

[haymaker]

68. This thread really sorted 'em out, didn't it?

Not that I didn't know who was who before.

[SiobhanClancy]

76. Mitt apologized to Ted..

statement made without his knowledge? One wonders....
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2003/10/03/governor_apologizes_for_statement_linking_schwarzenegger_kennedy/

[NewYorkerfromMass]

77. But it shows the kind of thinking and talk his office engages in

A well earned black eye for Romney here....PRICK!

[Spirochete]

78. Arnold's like Kennedy?

But the Republicans have been referring to Kennedy as a lecherous villain not fit to live, let alone hold public office. If Arnold's just like Kennedy, what's that make Arnold, then?

They have their hypocrisy fine-tuned, I must say.