The Washington Speakers Bureau, a stable of politicians and pundits for hire, provided added inducement. It sought to re-sign Mr. Simpson, who had been on contract after leaving the Senate, after the commission reported in December 2010. He, like Mr. Bowles, had been flying weekly to Washington without compensation; Mr. Simpson said he had spent about $25,000 of his own money to upgrade from government-rate coach seating to premium-class seats able to fit his frame. He contacted his pal.

“I said: ‘Erskine, would you want to do any of this? I know that may not be your bag, but I certainly have still embraced the capitalistic system,’ ” Mr. Simpson recalled. “He said, ‘Yeah, as long as I do it with you.’ ”

Initially they made up to $32,000 each, Mr. Simpson said, then $36,000 and now $40,000. But they often appear without a fee, including at colleges and city economic clubs. The two men have done countless interviews, for newspaper reporters, doctoral students and middle school report-writers; have sat for rural radio stations and for “60 Minutes”; and have lectured both on campuses and to campuses, as Mr. Simpson did by Skype from Wyoming last week to a class here at American University.

They have addressed Rotary Clubs and corporate conventions; in coming days, they will speak at Bank of America and to investment groups in Manhattan.

“Erskine is the numbers guy; I’m the color guy,” Mr. Simpson said.

The two often mix substance and sarcasm. For instance, in a recent appearance on Bloomberg TV, Mr. Simpson turned to Mr. Bowles for the correct figure on Social Security’s negative cash flow, and then joked that if lawmakers could not compromise on that issue and others, “You should never be in a legislature, and you sure as hell should never get married.”

The night after Mr. Obama celebrated his re-election in a Chicago hotel, Mr. Bowles, solo, was there as the keynote speaker for about 800 financial analysts, members of the CFA Society of Chicago. Keith Cardoza, the chairman, said the $40,000 cost was worth it “for somebody as accomplished and experienced as Mr. Bowles.”

The Simpson-Bowles road show began two years ago when, after months of deliberations, 11 of the 18 commission members — 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans and 1 independent — backed the chairmen’s plan to reduce annual deficits at least $4 trillion in the first decade with tax increases and cuts in military and social spending.