Tavis Smiley & Dr. Cornel West on Poverty: “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto” | Seattle Education

Tavis Smiley & Dr. Cornel West on Poverty: “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto” | Seattle Education:

Tavis Smiley & Dr. Cornel West on Poverty: “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto”

by seattleducation2011

From Democracy Now:

As the most expensive presidential election in U.S. history comes to an end, broadcaster Tavis Smiley and professor, activist Dr. Cornel West discuss President Obama’s re-election and their hopes for a national political agenda in and outside of the White House during Obama’s second term. At a time when one in six Americans is poor, the price tag for combined spending by federal candidates — along with their parties and outside groups like super PACs — totaled more than $6 billion. Together, West and Smiley have written the new book, “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto.”

Both Tavis and Smiley single out prominent progressives whom they accuse of overlooking Obama’s actual record. “We believe if [Obama] is not pushed, he is going to be a transactional president and not a transformational president,” Smiley says. “We believe the time is now for action and no longer accommodation… To be the most progressive means you’ve taken some serious risk. And I just don’t see the example of that.” West says that some prominent supporters of Obama “want to turn their back to poor and working people. It’s