Arnold story spreads

Gov. Schwarzenegger's lucrative deal with the fitness magazines makes the front page of Friday's New York Times. Andrew Pollack goes with the $5 million figure, not the $8 million the L.A. Times reported this morning, but sticks with the conflict of interest line of questioning. He quotes Laurence Leamer, author of the new Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, rather than Ann Louise Bardach about the genesis of the rich contract with American Media. Here's a link to the Bardach piece in last October's Los Angeles magazine that explored how the deal came about and showed how it was probably linked to American Media's tabloids laying off Schwarzenegger when he became a candidate for governor. In Friday's follow-up LAT story, the governor's aides call it much ado about nothing and say the work takes up little time, poses no ethical conflicts and may save California taxpayers money because he doesn't take his official salary.