Obama’s A-OK payday

Rich is the clamor for Barack Obama to turn down a speaking gig at an upcoming health care conference, sponsored by a Wall Street investment bank and set to earn him a cool $400,000. Progressives in particular are incredulous that anyone, even Mr. Hope and Change, could survive such a transaction with integrity intact.

To put it in words more blunt than Obama would ever use: Get bent.

The former President and now private citizen — the world’s most in-demand paid speaker — has nothing to apologize for.

This is a business transaction, and a path welltrod by former mayors, governors and Presidents: A company pays for a headliner. The headliner shows up and makes a speech.

When political opponents raked former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the coals for getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to speak to a big bank, the professed concern was rooted in the notion that she would be compromised if elected President.

Obama has already reached the political mountaintop. He and Michelle Obama already signed a dual book deal with Random House for a reported $65 million. Did that make them beholden to the book lobby? Nonsense.

Obama is free to use his windfall for whatever he likes: tuition for his children’s education, a vacation home, seed money for some new philanthropic endeavor.

One can believe, as the ex-President says he does, that growing economic inequality is “morally wrong” without having to commit to leading the life of a monk.

In fact, there’s a one-in-one chance that, even as Obama pockets the cash and talks to the most well-heeled audiences, he will continue to espouse liberal economic ideas.

So would those who purport to believe in Obama rather have him speak for free — and save Cantor Fitzgerald the fee — or have him turn down the invitation altogether, and deny the audience the benefit of his wisdom?