As if Arnold needs more pumping up. In the wake of the muscle magazine controversy, the Governor’s spokeswoman, Margita Thompson, has claimed that Schwarzenegger’s association with American Media (the publishing company which owns the magazines) represents no conflict of interest. Apparently Thompson forgot that the Governor’s paycheck comes from advertising revenues, and the magazines frequently feature ads for dietary supplements. Or maybe she missed that other tiny detail: last year the Terminator vetoed a bill that would have placed government regulations on — you guessed it — dietary supplements.
Needless to say, the arrangement is an interesting coincidence. And a profitable one at that. The Governor’s contract calls for him to receive 1% of the magazines’ per year for five years — a sum which could total upwards of five million dollars. To say that Schwarzenegger’s association with American Media isn’t a conflict of interest is more than naƒ¯ve — it’s just plain stupid.
— Grant Ginder