Edwards to Hit the Lecture Trail, Jacks Up Speaking Fee

Who said cheating on your cancer-stricken wife and fathering a child (ahem, allegedly) didn't have its advantages?

Just weeks after former presidential candidate John Edwards admitted cheating on his wife, he's not shying away from public speaking engagements -- and his fee has gone up, his agent says.

Edwards is due to speak at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on Oct. 14. The agent for the former North Carolina senator has told the university student group organizing the event that Edwards is looking to add to his speaking calendar and that he's charging more, said university spokeswoman Robin Kaler.

Edwards is to speak on "The American Dream," Kaler said. Tickets are free, but the student group is paying him $65,000.

Sixty-five large! That is some nice coin, Silky. Well, I guess having to funnel money to and shuttle around Lisa Druck Rielle Hunter and your alleged love child is setting him back a bit.

It would be interesting to see whether any students at UIUC think the money could be better spent.

Edwards has come under fire in the past for his speaking fees. In 2006, he was paid $55,000 to speak at the University of California-Davis about poverty.

And just our luck here in the New York area. His first appearance will be at Hofstra University.

Someone will be conspicuous by her absence.

In a return to the public stage, John Edwards has confirmed plans to talk politics a month after admitting to an extramarital affair. But his wife won't be at his side.

A representative for the former Democratic presidential candidate confirmed Friday that he would speak alone at Hofstra University in New York on Sept. 8, school spokesman Stuart Vincent said. It was initially billed as a joint appearance to talk about the 2008 election, but Vincent said Elizabeth Edwards would not attend.

Dennis Goldford, a professor of politics at Drake University, said the rapid return to the stump could make it difficult for Edwards to overcome the anger of his former supporters. Edwards went into seclusion last month after spending the better part of the past six years on the trail — running for president twice, serving on the Democratic presidential ticket in 2004 and pushing to shrink the gap between rich and poor.

"I don't think the dust has settled sufficiently," Goldford said. "You're going to see a lot of people who are extremely skeptical. It would seem that you would need a little more time."

You would think. But, um, Mr. Goldford, we are dealing with a bottom-feeding megalomaniac here.

Ironically, the athletic teams at Hofstra are named the Pride. It would be nice if the school showed some pride and self-respect and told this charlatan to stay home. Or wherever it is he's staying these days.