Tabloids Took A Pass On Arnold and Jeb

New York Daily News reported that American Media owner and CEO David Pecker had assured Weider that the tabloids were going to "lay off" Schwarzenegger. "We're not going to pull up any dirt on him," Weider said Pecker told him. (American Media spokesman Richard Valvo calls the conversation "unfounded rumor"; Weider reconfirmed it Wednesday.)

Schwarzenegger was not the first to get the kid-glove treatment. "We took a pass on Jeb Bush [when the Florida governor held a press conference to quell rumors about his alleged infidelity] also," said one of the longtime employees.

No doubt the tabs are aware that Schwarzenegger aggressively protects his image. According to published reports, his employees and campaign staffers must sign confidentiality agreements that prevent them from disclosing anything about the star or his family, in perpetuity.