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CNN Live Today
Arnold's Past is Catching up With Him
Aired August 29, 2003 - 10:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now we turn our attention now to politics and the California recall. From the beginning, the race has had all the spectacle of a Hollywood production. But now the leading man is facing a plot twist that wasn't in the script, at least not in his script.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us now with details on a 1977 interview that's coming back to haunt GOP front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger. We knew it was going there, that possibly it might get dirty, Bob. But now we're talking about digging up part of his past. He was 29, he was single and he was pumping iron.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: OK, well let's make sure that the perspective is proper here. This is possibly something that will not haunt him unless the voters decide that it is something that they consider as a negative about Arnold Schwarzenegger and that's absolutely not clear yet. His political opponents here are making no comment, point number one.
Point number two, these disclosures came from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. Back in 1977, when he was just really emerging as the star of the movie "Pumping Iron" he did some public comments in connection with that.
One, an interview in "We" magazine in which he described some group sex encounters and the use of marijuana and hashish. There was also a publication that he put out, a book, an autobiographical book where he had some similar descriptions.
Now of course that was 26 years ago, long back from his campaign today which you're watching now. He's been in Sacramento a couple of times -- excuse me. He was in Fresno yesterday.
But the reporters, of course, were very interested in the redisclosure of this information and so he had some brief comments while he was in Fresno yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: I don't know what you're talking about. But on top of that I'm here to push my economic agenda, I'm here to listen to the people, I'm here to have a rally in Fresno, that's what I'm doing. I'm not paying any attention to all of those things. I have no memory of any of the articles I did 20 or 30 years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP) FRANKEN: It's clear that the reaction from Schwarzenegger's side is a bit of a work in progress, if we can compare that reaction yesterday to the one the night before on a Fresno radio station.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's an old 1977 interview you did with "We" magazine out there. And I got to tell you, Arnold, you were having a lot more fun in 1977 than I was.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, you know, you have to understand, I mean, I know exactly what you're saying. I never lived my life to be a politician. I never lived my life to be the governor of California.
Obviously, I've made statements that are ludicrous and crazy and outrageous and all those things because that's the way I always was. I was always outrageous otherwise I wouldn't have done the things that I did in my career with body building and the show business and all the thing. I was always out there.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Well he is living his life now as a politician. Of course, the question, Fredricka, is whether these disclosures, which are disclosures that have been previously disclosed by Schwarzenegger himself, whether they will make any difference whatsoever -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Bob, thanks very much. And I have a feeling this is going to be a topic of conversation at the scheduled September 9 debate.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 29, 2003 - 10:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now we turn our attention now to politics and the California recall. From the beginning, the race has had all the spectacle of a Hollywood production. But now the leading man is facing a plot twist that wasn't in the script, at least not in his script.
CNN's Bob Franken joins us now with details on a 1977 interview that's coming back to haunt GOP front-runner Arnold Schwarzenegger. We knew it was going there, that possibly it might get dirty, Bob. But now we're talking about digging up part of his past. He was 29, he was single and he was pumping iron.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: OK, well let's make sure that the perspective is proper here. This is possibly something that will not haunt him unless the voters decide that it is something that they consider as a negative about Arnold Schwarzenegger and that's absolutely not clear yet. His political opponents here are making no comment, point number one.
Point number two, these disclosures came from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself. Back in 1977, when he was just really emerging as the star of the movie "Pumping Iron" he did some public comments in connection with that.
One, an interview in "We" magazine in which he described some group sex encounters and the use of marijuana and hashish. There was also a publication that he put out, a book, an autobiographical book where he had some similar descriptions.
Now of course that was 26 years ago, long back from his campaign today which you're watching now. He's been in Sacramento a couple of times -- excuse me. He was in Fresno yesterday.
But the reporters, of course, were very interested in the redisclosure of this information and so he had some brief comments while he was in Fresno yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIF. GOV. CANDIDATE: I don't know what you're talking about. But on top of that I'm here to push my economic agenda, I'm here to listen to the people, I'm here to have a rally in Fresno, that's what I'm doing. I'm not paying any attention to all of those things. I have no memory of any of the articles I did 20 or 30 years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP) FRANKEN: It's clear that the reaction from Schwarzenegger's side is a bit of a work in progress, if we can compare that reaction yesterday to the one the night before on a Fresno radio station.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's an old 1977 interview you did with "We" magazine out there. And I got to tell you, Arnold, you were having a lot more fun in 1977 than I was.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHWARZENEGGER: Well, you know, you have to understand, I mean, I know exactly what you're saying. I never lived my life to be a politician. I never lived my life to be the governor of California.
Obviously, I've made statements that are ludicrous and crazy and outrageous and all those things because that's the way I always was. I was always outrageous otherwise I wouldn't have done the things that I did in my career with body building and the show business and all the thing. I was always out there.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
FRANKEN: Well he is living his life now as a politician. Of course, the question, Fredricka, is whether these disclosures, which are disclosures that have been previously disclosed by Schwarzenegger himself, whether they will make any difference whatsoever -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Bob, thanks very much. And I have a feeling this is going to be a topic of conversation at the scheduled September 9 debate.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
