Bristol Palin Follows Mom to the Lecture Circuit

(May 17) -- She may not demand a LearJet or even bendable straws like her mother, but Bristol Palin will command up to $30,000 when she hits the speakers' circuit.

That's about $70,000 less than her mom, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, often makes.

In an interview with The Associated Press, family attorney Thomas Van Flein confirmed a Radar Online report that Sarah Palin's eldest daughter, Bristol, 19, has signed with Single Source Speakers, a Nashville-based speakers' bureau. According to Single Source's website, Bristol, a single mother to 15-month-old son Tripp, will address conferences and fundraisers about abstinence, pro-life and women's and youth topics.

"Sarah Palin's oldest daughter took the country by storm practically overnight when she was introduced to Americans during the 2008 presidential campaign," Single Source says on its website. "Her teen pregnancy and the birth of her son, Tripp, resulted in millions of Americans discussing the issues surrounding teen pregnancy. "

Van Flein said her speaker's fees will vary by the client and how much she is required to prepare. Her first official engagement as an signed speaker will take place Wednesday at the Heartbeat International Conference, a meeting for pregnancy help center advocates in Orlando, Fla.

Bristol Palin told Radar Online she is "excited to go to Orlando and meet the hundreds of pregnancy support providers from around the world that will be attending."

The younger Palin's fee pales in comparison to that of her mother, who earned $100,000 to speak before a Republican group in Iowa and a reported $75,000 for the Cal State speaking engagement in April that revealed a detailed list of requests from her handlers.

Former Gov. Palin is one-upped by former President George W. Bush, who pulls in $150,000 per engagement, according to published reports. He is represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau and reportedly reduces his speech price to $100,000 for appearances near his new Dallas home.

Former President Bill Clinton is a big kahuna on the lecture circuit, earning a reported $175,000 to address corporations, conferences and foreign companies. A Kuwait bank reportedly paid the ex-president $350,000 for his time at the lectern. During Hilary Clinton's presidential campaign, former President Clinton disclosed he earned $4.7 million in speaking fees in 2008.

Clinton's former vice president, Al Gore, also pulls in a reported $175,000 per speech. But former British Prime Minister Tony Blair could take both Clinton and Gore to the bank, with a speaking fee that has been reported to top $200,000.

Compared with former heads of state, Bristol Palin's $15,000 to $30,000 rate appears paltry, but the low end of her fee is consistent with a number of prominent speakers on the lecture circuit.

For the minimum price of booking Bristol, the Washington Speakers Bureau offers up clients in its "under 15K" group, including political commentators Fred Barnes and Paul Begala, former Major League baseball pitcher Jim Abbott and another famous offspring, Tim Russert's son Luke, an NBC News correspondent.

The Single Source website denotes fees for both Bristol Palin and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees with four question marks, meaning "Call to discuss!"