Famed Princeton University professor Cornell West and Broadcaster Tavis Smiley need to be seriously ashamed of themselves.
They have completed a week-long, 14-city “Poverty Tour” which highlighted the plight of America’s poor and directly critiqued President Obama for failing to stand up for them.
There is nothing wrong with criticizing a sitting President, and African Americans have every right to point out when they feel the first African American President is not looking out for their best interests. 
However, surely both West and Smiley are aware that problems can not be fixed overnight, and that compromise comes with the job of President.
Let’s call this what it is. The goal of this “poverty tour” is too keep West and Smiley in media headlines, and to carry out personal agendas.
I have never seen anything so blatant in my life.
Both West and Smiley have publicly expressed personal gripes with Obama. On multiple occasions, Smiley has complained about the President's failure to attend a "State of the Black Union" event in 2008, like the President of the United States must answer to Smiley, like Smiley gets to set U.S. policy. He has also pointed out that Obama is the first recent President not to invite him to the White House. Why should he invite you Mr. Smiley? What makes you so special?
West, who actively campaigned for Obama in 2008, has voiced frustration over the President's failure to provide him with inauguration tickets or to thank him for his considerable campaign work.
REALLY, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. Your upset because you didn’t get tickets to the inauguration?
What’s even more shocking is that neither man has been as vocal against any other President. So why this President Mr. West and Mr. Smiley? Could it be because you know that he can’t really fight back? Boy it sure seemed like you loved Bill Clinton. He could do no wrong, but then again, Clinton did invite you to the White House.
As a fellow author, Smiley knows damn well what he is also doing. He’s trying to sell copies of his most recent book, “Fail up,” at the expense of President Obama. Smiley is also trying to pump his PBS television show, which by the way he bends over backwards to be nice to the guests.
It is extremely doubtful, the President has forgotten a critical portion of his base: the poor, but again, change does not happen overnight. This same problem embraced NY’s first African American Mayor David Dinkins, and even South African President Nelson Mandela. The base almost expecting the official to wave a magic wand, and solve all the problems overnight.
Some people like entertainer Steve Harvey accused West and Smiley of "poverty pimping, " and even worse, calling them “Uncle Toms.”
I won’t go that far, but West and Smiley need a serious self-check moment. You may be receiving your 15 minutes of fame, but they are playing themselves and looking like utter fools while doing it. It's also amazing that PBS would permit Smiley to be so biased, and for such a personal reason.
If my grandmother was alive, and she could meet both West and Smiley, she would wave her hand in a dismissive tone, and say: “boy go sit down with that.”
Come on guys, tickets to the Inauguration? Appearing on your TV show? (which by the way has a very small audience) We are bigger than that.