Define Irony, John Edwards Charges UC Davis $55K for Speech on Poverty

Define irony … we believe John Edwards may just have. You know you just cant make this stuff up. Mr. Two Americas, Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards, charged the tax payer funded UC Davis $55,000 to make a speech on poverty. How do the rich get richer? They do so by getting paid to talk about poverty, at the expense of tax payers. Absolutely incredible and the WTF segment of the day. Then again, what should we expect from an attorney, wannabe Democratic candidate politician.

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who as a Democratic presidential candidate recently proposed an educational policy that urged “every financial barrier” be removed for American kids who want to go to college, has been going to college himself — as a high paid speaker, his financial records show.

The candidate charged a whopping $55,000 to speak at to a crowd of 1,787 the taxpayer-funded University of California at Davis on Jan. 9, 2006 last year, Joe Martin, the public relations officer for the campus’ Mondavi Center confirmed Monday. (SF Chronicle)

I guess we know what America that John Edwards is a part of. The hypocrisy and lack of shame is simply incredible. One really has to question the judgement and greediness of a Presidential wannabe who would actually charge an institution a fee for the very thing that one discusses in their message. If it did not actually occur it would actually be a bad joke.

(Speeches on poverty at tax payers expense needed to pay for the mortgage of the John Edwards estate)

That could cause both parents and students to note some irony here: UC Davis — like the rest of the public University of California system — will get hit this year by a 7 percent tuition increase that likely hits many of the kids his speeches are aimed at helping.

Edwards spoke to at least two other California universities and colleges, both private.

He appeared at Stanford University, where he spoke on April 26, 2006; the Palo Alto institution paid him $40,000 to deliver his talks, according to financial records. And Edwards also headlined at the former University of Judaism — today the American Jewish University — in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, 2006, where he debated former Speaker Newt Gingrich before about 5,000 people. According to financial documents, the candidate received a fee of $40,000 at that appearance.

And the college and university gigs apparently added up on the bottom line for Edwards.