Arnie denies 'sex and drugs' past on Oprah

ACTOR-TURNED-POLITICIAN Arnold Schwarzenegger has answered tough questions about sex and drugs in his colourful body-building past during a high-profile TV interview.

The would-be California governor, a Republican, aired his politically sensitive laundry during his first ever joint interview with Democrat wife Maria Shriver on Oprah Winfrey's talk show.

The action star and the niece of slain US president John F. Kennedy were quizzed about his political ambitions and how she felt about his campaign.

Mr Schwarzenegger, 56, who has been married to Ms Shriver for 17 years, denied charges he was a misogynist and said explosive statements he made 25 years ago were just body-building bravado aimed at pumping up the sport.

"I think the '70s was a crazy decade," he said of the period in which he admits to smoking marijuana while filming his body-building movie, Pumping Iron.

"This is the time when we promoted body-building, promoted 'Pumping Iron', and said the most outrageous things in order to make headlines and build the sport up," he said.

Mr Schwarzenegger said he did not remember a much-quoted 1977 interview with men's magazine, Oui, in which, among other things, he said he had taken part in group sex.

He has come under heavy fire in recent weeks from women's groups for the alleged statements and for allegations of sexual harassment against women.

Ms Shriver, who has been involved with Schwarzenegger for a total of 26 years, also defended her husband to her friend Ms Winfrey, saying he was "the exact opposite of a woman hater".

She also denied charges she followed the example of other Kennedy dynasty women and turned a blind eye to spousal womanising.

Mr Schwarzenegger said he was determined to win California's governorship to help sort out the state's financial morass, saying he was as excited as a puppy over the challenge.

Ms Shriver conceded she had not wanted her husband to jump into her family business politics but said she now supported him, admired his courage, and would be voting Republican for the first time in her life.

Meanwhile, a US appeals court threw the October 7 election into turmoil by postponing the vote, citing the US Supreme Court's decision in the 2000 presidential election in ruling that punch-card ballots could lead to some votes not being counted.

The decision by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco is certain to be appealed to the US Supreme Court, putting the justices in a position to influence yet another monumental election.

The three-judge panel did not set a new date for the recall election, but backed a suggestion from the American Civil Liberties Union that balloting be held during the March 2 presidential primary.