Talk about your PR disasters. Here's the crux of a news and blogosphere headline item that's getting a lot of air time this week (the graphic here will make sense if you bravely, patiently read this to the end):

Edwards charges $55,000 to speak to UC Davis students about poverty.

That's from a post by someone called Shamalama writing on a blog called Common Folk Using Common Sense. The writer goes on to say… Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, who 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.

Common Folk Using Common Sense isn't, shall we say, the most objective forum in the world, which is fine by me because no attempt is made by it to pretend otherwise. From there, I checked a few places for additional confirmation of the basic story. Here's how the more mainstream News&Observer out of Raleigh, North Carolina played it:

$55,000 poverty talk

North Carolina's former senator also found himself under fire Thursday for taking $55,000 last year for a speech on poverty at the University of California at Davis. Dick Rosengarten, publisher of California Political Week, called it "outrageous."

I am a politically atheist… I don't believe in any of them, so this isn't about, for or against, this hairdo. Fact is, $916 a minute isn't exactly accurate because he had to get there and back and presumably had to prepare something. Two, I suppose anyone with something some people think is really, really unique and important to say is entitled to charge for it. People weren't forced to go.

Back in the day, years and years ago at the birth of PR, a once very famous practitioner (as I recall the story) was summoned to his client's headquarters (Texaco, I think) for an all-day summit on how to improve the gas station business. Highways were being built, stations were going up across America, and competition was becoming increasingly intense. The PR guy listened all day long, saying nothing. He listened to stats about well-head production, petroleum refinery facts and figures, fuel transport logistics and on and on and on.

As the meeting drew to a close, the CEO said, "You haven't uttered a word all day. What do you think of all this and what's your advice for improving our business, for gaining marketshare?"

The PR guy said just four words, left, and sent in his bill for $25,000 — a ransom in those days. The client promptly paid it. Here's what he said: "Keep your restrooms clean."

Sorry for the longish post today, but it's the eve of the long weekend. I hope you all have a good, contemplative Memorial Day.

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