1977 Quotes Were Made Up, Actor Says

Arnold Schwarzenegger made his most extensive media appearances of the campaign Tuesday, sitting for interviews with half a dozen radio and TV programs as he rolled out his second television advertisement.

In one interview, Schwarzenegger, the leading Republican candidate in the recall election, said he had made up some of the statements in his 1977 interview with a men’s magazine about engaging in group sex and taking drugs.

“I made statements that were crazy, statements that -- a lot of them were not true and just exaggerated situations,” he told NBC’s Channel 4. “I knew they would get headlines. We were promoting bodybuilding, we were promoting [the 1976 documentary] ‘Pumping Iron.’ ”

That explanation differed somewhat from Schwarzenegger’s previous statements about the interview in Oui magazine. When the article resurfaced last week, Schwarzenegger said in a radio interview that he had been outrageous in his youth and called the statements ludicrous but did not say they were untrue.

The next day, when the first question at a campaign event in Fresno was about the interview, Schwarzenegger said: “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m here to push my economic agenda.”

Sean Walsh, a spokesman for the actor, denied that the new statement conflicted with earlier accounts, saying they were all the same.

“Arnold has conducted probably thousands of interviews over his bodybuilding, entertainment and now political careers. You don’t remember every interview. Just as a reporter who writes thousands of stories over the years doesn’t remember every interview and every paragraph he’s written.”

In Tuesday’s interviews, Schwarzenegger also continued sharp attacks on Gov. Gray Davis and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the only prominent Democrat running to replace Davis should voters decide to recall the governor in the Oct. 7 special election.

Schwarzenegger called the two Democrats “the Twin Terminators of Sacramento” and said they were addicted to government spending.

“If there was an addiction place for spending, I would send all those guys to that place,” Schwarzenegger said on KFI-AM (640)’s “John and Ken” show.

He also insisted that Davis’ and Bustamante’s fund-raising from interest groups differed from his own.

“Here’s the difference,” he said in the Channel 4 interview. “I mean, the other guys are taking money from the Indians and from the unions. And how can you take money from those guys if you sit one day across the table negotiating [with them]?”

Schwarzenegger denied that he would be influenced by contributions from wealthy developers, businessmen and others who have contributed to him.

“No one, no one will influence me about anything,” he said. “I want to be influenced only because it’s a good idea.”

His new TV ad hits a similar theme, criticizing “special interests” in Sacramento. At 15 seconds, it is shorter than the average 30-second spot. It avoids specifying what interest groups he has in mind.

In interview after interview, Schwarzenegger largely stuck to statements straight from his stump speech. He ducked questions on several issues, including whether undocumented immigrants should receive in-state tuition discounts at state colleges and what spending cuts he would make to balance the state’s budget deficit.

Schwarzenegger, who has been criticized for taking positions that are hostile to undocumented immigrants, said those critics are being unfair.

“People like myself waited for 15 years, legally, to get citizenship,” said Schwarzenegger, who came to the United States from Austria in 1968. “There are people waiting for 20 years legally in other countries like the Philippines to come into this country.”

He also denied he is avoiding debating his opponents -- although he is skipping a debate today -- saying his opponents have been trying to use his celebrity to get attention.

“Mention my name, it gives them air time,” he said on KFI.

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Times staff writers Sue Fox, Megan Garvey and Allison Hoffman contributed to this report.