John Edwards cancels speeches

CHICAGO, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The booking agent for former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., says he's canceled all public commitments until after the November U.S. elections.

Edwards, who last month admitted to having an affair with a former campaign worker, said he didn't want his appearances to be a distraction from the Democratic presidential ticket, said a statement from the Harry Walker Agency of New York.

"Nothing is more important than electing Barack Obama and Joe Biden," Edwards said in the statement.

One of the canceled engagements was at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where Edwards was to be paid $65,000 to deliver a speech Oct. 14 on poverty, the Chicago Tribune reported Friday.

The Harry Walker Agency declined to say how many public commitments have been canceled by Edwards, who didn't attend last week's Democratic National Convention in Denver, the Tribune said.