But a recent flap over author Laurence Leamer’s new "Fantastic: the Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger" indicates the Kennedy diva is still calling the shots when it comes to the network's coverage of her husband, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Leamer was in negotiations for an appearance on the network's "Today" show and "Dateline" for his highly anticipated "Fantastic" book. It is the first book by an independent author to have the cooperation of both Schwarzenegger and Shriver.

But Shriver worked at NBC as a reporter – and that relationship may have ended Leamer's planned appearance.

Before "Today" would book Leamer, he needed to get Shriver's blessing, according to a series of e-mail messages obtained by the New York Times.

In one message, Andrea Smith, a "Today" producer, told John Murphy, head of publicity at Leamer's publisher, St. Martin's Press, "You can ask Maria to call me so I can just make sure she is O.K. with us doing the Leamer book."

Leamer, who interviewed Shriver for his book and had admired her career as a journalist, was stunned when he found out about the request. "I thought she would go ballistic when she heard that they were doing this," Leamer told the Times of Maria's probable reaction.

He called Shriver and discovered that she may have had second thoughts about the book after all.

"It was not to have her tell them to have me on the show, but just to tell them it was unethical, that they should just do whatever they were going to do," said Leamer of his call to Shriver.

"And she told me, 'There must be something negative about me in the book. I know you are going to make Arnold look really good in this book and make me look really bad. Send me the galleys and then I'll decide,'" Leamer recalled Shriver telling him.

Leamer also received an e-mail from Murphy that read "Just back from lunch with Andrea at 'Today.' She says, 'I don’t think we can do it because of Maria.'"

When contacted at a book fair in New York, Murphy said he had "no recollection" of specific e-mail messages about the Leamer appearance, according to the Times.

Leamer didn't send Shriver the galleys and she didn't make a call to OK his appearance. So the author – who had appeared on "Today" to promote four of his last five books – wasn’t booked on the show.

"Today" spokeswoman Lauren Kapp claimed Leamer "wasn’t a booking in which we had much interest. Had we, Maria would have had no say in our decision on whether to interview the author."

The Times noted "Today's" questionable journalistic practices: "Giving the wife of a governor the right to approve a guest on its network, whether out of personal loyalty or the desire to maintain access, would be a remarkably bad move for a major news organization."

Leamer, who has written three best sellers about the Kennedys, said he had extensive interviews with Schwarzenegger for his book.

"Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger" suggests that some of his friends and associates don't approve of Shriver's influence. For one thing, it suggests that Shriver may have undermined Schwarzenegger's once unbridled confidence.

But Leamer's book – which has been obtained by NewsMax and will be reviewed later this week, paints a largely flattering portrait of Shriver. She has been loyal to her husband, and even abandoned her own career in favor of his political ambitions.

Leamer says that Shriver helped organize Schwarzenegger's often chaotic life and made him a greater success.

But Shriver may not have been happy with the no-holds-barred revelations about Schwarzenegger's sexual past. As the Times says, "Fantastic" contains passages about Schwarzenegger's sexual history "that would make any spouse wince."

From Schwarzenegger's early days as a little-known Austrian bodybuilder to his rise as one of Hollywood's biggest box office attractions, Leamer portrays an indefatigable but also very human person, warts and all, striving to succeed.

During that rise, Schwarzenegger is today clearly ashamed of some of his past activities, particularly with women.

Leamer believes Schwarzenegger has done some damage control in recent years.

The National Enquirer and Star magazine are two publications that have delved into Schwarzenegger's checkered past. At one point the tabloids threatened that if Schwarzenegger ran for office, the mud would fly.

Despite that threat, when Schwarzenegger did run for governor, and after, the tabloids have treated him with kid gloves.

Perhaps for good reason.

American Media, which owns both publications, has taken on Schwarzenegger as executive editor of two publications the company purchased, Muscle & Fitness and Flex.

"I think it's common sense," Schwarzenegger told Leamer about the arrangement. "Do you want to work with someone who you are attacking? You don't have to say anything. You don't have to be sleazy and make deals. It's human nature."

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