SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Questions of character continued to dog gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger Friday, just a few days before Californians go to the polls to cast their vote. Now, women's groups are turning up the heat, arguing that Schwarzenegger is unfit to hold office.

Schwarzenegger was on the defensive Friday after being battered by charges of sexual misconduct, and that he once expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Between rallies Friday, Schwarzenegger apologized again for what he called "offensive behavior," but he dismissed the allegations as dirty politics.

"You know they're going to try to tear you down, try to tear down your character, try to tear down everything you stand for. I was warned about that, and here it is. They were right on," Schwarzenegger said.

The Republican candidate's wife, Maria Shriver, issued a spirited defense at a separate event Friday.

"In these final 48 to 72 hours, you can make a decision," Shriver said. "You can listen to all the negativity. You can listen to people who have never met Arnold or who met him for five seconds 30 years ago, or you can listen to me. I advise you to listen to me."

But Gov. Gray Davis, who has been somewhat subdued during all the controversy, took off the gloves Friday at a campaign rally in Long Beach with presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt.

"For my part, the information about Mr. Schwarzenegger's conduct and beliefs raises serious questions about his ability to govern this state. If true, if true, his personal behavior was disturbing and unacceptable, and his professed admiration for Adolf Hitler unconscionable," Davis said.

"I think it is important, if this was a man who found Adolf Hitler to be a glorified and acceptable and desirable character, I sure want to know it as a Californian. Because I don't want that man as my governor," Sen. Diane Feinstein said on the "Today" show Friday.

Women's rights advocates also pressed for a criminal investigation of Schwarzenegger's alleged misconduct. But Republican operatives believe the character issues come too late to threaten Schwarzenegger's chances.

"It's impossible for a person to defend himself against these negative charges, particularly when they go back 30 years," said Assembly Republican leader Dave Cox.

"People definitely seem to have decided that they're tired of Gray Davis and they want him out. And the question really to insiders is whether or not this is going to affect Schwarzenegger's margin of victory," said Republican consultant Kevin Spillane.

With up to 25 percent of women voters still undecided, according to a recent field poll, that will be the group to watch on Election Day. But Davis' supporters know their challenge remains difficult, given the relatively steady support for the recall itself.