Xeon

Of course this does not mean that THIS blogger is the originator of the content. It just deepens my suspicions that Bill did not write the article.

Good point and observation. But regardless, I agreed with just about every thing the writer said. I've often asked the same questions and said the exact same things.........

Well, know you know what happens to the human brain after years and years of drug abuse..............

Bro Herman is pathetic. I watched him last night in an interview with Piers Morgan and I had to turn my head in embarrassment. This man has zero understanding of international and foreign policy and has no expertise nor savvy in politics (something he openly admits). His shrill rhetoric and defense of the Tea Baggers is a sham. Every credible independent tax policy and analysis entity has dismissed the viability of his vague and misleading 9-9-9 fantasy. His flip flops, retractions and FUBAR's have become the standard for his speeches. But it is funny to see a colored guy as a major GOP contender......for now......

Great mind and innovator. There is no one who can replace this iconic visionary. He will be missed -trust me!

Who gives a shit anymore? Seriously. Black men are not the only men in the world.

Good point. I agree. Black women are going to have to find and create their own happiness. If black men are that disgusting, weak, inept, undesirable, worthless, horrible, unaccomplished, unworthy, etc, etc, by all means, seek non-black men who are not. Unfortunately, life is not a rehearsal. You only get one shot and that is that....no second chances or re-takes. Do what you have to do and do yourself a favor -leave 'em the fuck alone! E'nuff said.......

One more thing. I have to make something perfectly clear Troy. I am not an Obama worshipper or ideologue as you have suggested. You need to understand this. I am simply stating facts as to why he has been unsuccessful at addressing the concerns of the majority of Americans. It amazes me how people are blaming the economy and stagnant mass unemployment on him. It defies the facts and makes no sense. We live in a free market economy that is inextricably tied to global markets (have you been following the financial chaos in Europe and the affect it is having on the American market?). Do you listen to the daily stock exchange news? The president of the United States has no control over this. For example, I had a good friend tell me years ago, that Bush caused the housing market crash. She said he was directly responsible for it. WTF?? I was certainly not a George W. Bush fan by any means and I never voted for the man but I see no need to lie on him. I attempted to explain to her the wheels that were turning in the financial markets had nothing to do with him. But she (like you) was determined it was the presidents fault. But the reality was this: The crash of the housing market had nothing to do with the president. So, I’m calling you out Troy to explain and detail how and why the national economy and subsequent massive unemployment is President Obama’s fault.

You wail and moan about how President Obama is a disappointment, how he is a failure, how he seems to lack leadership, how he owes black people, how as a black man you voted for….blah..blah…blah…. I continually hear all these litigious Tavis Smiley style condemnations but I have yet to hear an intelligent and factual listing of what legislation or polices Obama has failed to address. You have tap danced around these questions while I have been very definitive in my responses to your questions and accusations. But again, given the rabid and hostile dominance of the House by Republicans –what do you realistically expect this man to do? Tell me why massive unemployment and failure to reduce the national debt is the result of his failed leadership. And I don’t mean to be redundant, but I have asked all the Obama detractors these same questions and not one has given a salient response. Can you? Ball in your court…….

Ok Xeon, if you want to elevate a bunch of death threats over an actual assignation we’ll have to just agree to disagree.

Agree or disagree about the number of unprecedented death threats? Ha! Ha! Ha! That’s funny.Troy, your response is like agreeing or disagreeing that there are 50 stars in the American flag, is there snow in the Antarctic or do sharks actually have fins. There is nothing to disagree or agree about -it is what it is! It is a documented fact –not an opinion…….

Xeon, all your complaining about the Obama “haters” ignores the fact that we, and a whole lot of while folks, voted that “nigger” into office. If we are all haters and racist – how in the world did he get elected?!

Bro Troy, attempting to reduce my commentary to dissonant complaining is disingenuous and misses the point. I am stating facts –not an opinion, or, as you have suggested -complaining. As far as your statement about voting the “nigger” into office, the majority of whites voted for McCain –not Obama! Non-white votes helped tip the scales. And I never suggested that all whites hated Obama. There is a reasonable number who do (because of his politics and those who dislike him because he is black) and then there are those who voted for him but no longer support him. I never suggested that “we are all haters and racist”. I have no idea what prompted you to write such nonsense…..

I completely understand why Carey and Xeon feel the way they do about Obama. I was guilty of the same affliction. What we really need to do is stop worshipping Obama as if he is the 2^nd coming.

Once again bro Troy, you have displayed extreme confusion. I do not worship Obama or anyone else. So there is no affliction (at least on my part). I simply wrote about the obstacles both calculated and deliberate and those that are unfortunate circumstances of a national and global economy that has tanked. But you either deliberately or unconsciously side stepped my question: How is Obama to implement any legislation when the House is hell bent on derailing all of his efforts? Their contentious legislative obstructionism has undermined any attempts by President Obama to make changes or address issues. Rather than looking at the facts, you have opted for the low road of personal attacks and not acknowledging the real (not imagined) barriers to successful polices and legislation. Answer the question (second time): How can Obama circumvent the House in order to address your and everyone else’s concerns? Again. I will wait for a realistic (hopefully) answer from you to my question…….

I'm sorry to hear you interpreted my words as you did. The fact is that the accomplishments of the 9th and 10th Cavalry as well as the 24th and 25 Infantry Regiments during the Spanish-American War are impressive. Right? Don't you feel that way? I was impressed. And inspired.

Well, good luck with your book. I think you have seen a cross section of views and opinions of what you are trying to do. Personally myself, I welcome any literature that illuminates the often overlooked involvement and contributions of blacks in the American military. I think your effort should be encouraged since there is no overwhelming public interest in literature that documents the history of blacks in the military. If you peruse the major popular non-fiction top sellers listings, I don't think you will find historical books about blacks in the military cracking the top ten week after week. Obviously, hoping for fame and fortune could not be a major factor for writing about such a topic. So, your interest seems genuine and sincere to me. And yes, the accomplishments and dedication to duty of these black soldiers warrants exposure. These men existed and performed admirably in one of the most discriminatory and racist periods in American history. Again, good luck with your book……

Sounds like a very ethical and uncompromising stand. Too bad other business entities have not adopted your philosophy.....

We are no more headed for extinction than white people are. And if Africans are so interested in disclaiming African Americans why are they becoming so "westernized", themselves???

Good point. Negroes are no more in danger of extinction than any other race. Yes, there may be an increase of mixtures of various ethnicities and races –so what? This so-called mixing is not restricted to just black people. All groups experience this. And the bottom line is this -they are still human beings regardless of what their ethnic or racial mixture is. That is not to say certain races, ethnicities and skin complexions do not ensure privilege in certain societies and cultures. We all know that. But it still does not exempt one from being a decent human being.

A black person in America can become a judge, project manager, software engineer, federal marshal, UPS truck driver, military officer, lawyer, accountant, professional writer, nurse, policeman, artist, pilot or a taxi driver if that is their ambition and desire. The complexion of their skin will not prevent them from achieving any of the aforementioned. What they are mixed with is meaningless. The whole notion of race is unscientific. End of subject….

As far Africans being offended by the genetics of black Americans –who gives a fuck? They are last group on the planet to be strutting around spewing some kind of racial superiority and arrogance. Until they do something about their hands stuck out for international welfare (financial, medical and technological), they need to not say anything. What do they have to offer? With pandemic unstable governments, never ending civil wars that are accompanied by mass raping of women, ethnic genocide, political oppression, ruthless and brutal dictators, tribal strife, unstable economies, lack of technology and development, they are not in the position to criticize nor look down at anyone…..PERIOD!

not surprised by this at all...most of them are not even real indians anymore...majority of so-called natives on those reservations are 3/4ths white or more. the indian grandparent or great grandparent is tucked away somewhere in the distant past

I agree with this. I have met a number of women who claimed they were American Indian. But they looked as white (blue eyes, sandy colored hair and all) as your everyday generic white American. I worked with a young woman many years ago, and one day, I asked her a question about Spanish or something about Mexicans (I can't recall) and she said, “I'm not Mexican, I'm Indian..." Because of the long black straight hair, brown complexion and dark eyes, I assumed she was Hispanic. But then I looked in her face very carefully and....well....it was there. She was 100% Native American Indian and you could clearly see it. She was From New Mexico. For some reason or another, I didn't notice it at first.

Another time I was in Canada and I met a Native Indian woman and her sister. She took me to her reservation to meet her family (it was about almost a two hour drive one way on some treacherous mountains). I met her family on this incredible but isolated reservation. She and her family were the type of North American Indians who still physically maintained Asiatic facial features.

When I was in the military, I met an Indian from Alaska. You could see he was also physically 100% Indian. He too, had the Asiatic features. But like this talk you hear about alcohol and Indians, well…folks, it’s true. The Indian I met in the military and the two sisters in Canada (when I met their brother on the reservation, he was toasted), had serious drinking issues. All admitted it and said it was related to being Indian (their admission and words –not mine). When I was in their presence, they would drink alcohol until they would physically collapse. In fact, the guy in the military was discharged for that very reason. He had been drunk too many times on duty. I thought all that talk about Indians and alcohol was a myth. Well, it’s not a totally untrue. But regardless, they were 100% Indian (unlike these fraudulent whites claiming to be Native Americans).

But the poster is right, Many of these people who claim they are Indian have been so diluted (and I don't mean that in a negative sense), there is nothing physically recognizable about them having Native American blood. Yet they boastfully claim they are. Go figure........

Xeon, while you may live in an environment where Black men and women get married and have children, love and nourish them until them are grown. The vast majority of Black mothers do not experience this. This is an unfortunate reality and is supported by data. But you already know this, right?

Yes bro Troy, I am very aware of this. But the "baby-mama-daddy cancer culture" is one that only black women can eradicate. Why? Because unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to change the mindset of many misguided young black males who see nothing wrong nor destructive about their fathering multiple children by different women and providing little to no support for the children they help create. Only black women can say no to this self immolating behavior. Only they have the power to say, “no, I will not have sex with you without a condom” and “no, I will not have multiple or even one child by you unless you marry me. I refuse to become a statistic of the virulent fatherless baby mama culture”. Until black women, as a group, say no to becoming a statistic, it will continue unabated…..

I would not equate West marrying a white woman to that of Douglas, they were from different times. Douglas was half white. I also suspect the prospect of Douglas finding an eligible Sister of his caliber was very slim....

My point was being married to a non-black woman has nothing to do with an individual’s professional performance nor their ability to achieve some measure of success if they are social or political activist (the common misnomer is “black leader”). That’s all I was attempting to say…..

I have to be honest when I discovered West was married 4 times, unsuccessfully, I like most people relate it back to my own experiences and can’t understand it. Sure marriage is not easy but surely someone as smart as West would figure it out after a few times.

Well, I don’t know what to say to that. I can’t speak to the failures or lack of marriage success of West’s private life. I don’t know anything about it. However, being married four times does suggest something is wrong. But I can’t excoriate the man because, as I said, I don’t know the details about his private life and anything I would say would be no less than conjecture and speculation. I’m not going to do that. So, that’s the best I can do when referring to that comment…..

Smiley and West have a valid argument. West has been consistent for years. He was said we need to make sure Obama is accountable to the poor and working class – even when West was on Obama’s campaign trail.

Accountable to the poor and working class? Ok……and just exactly how is he to do that? Details please…..

First Black people do not benefit from “Attempted” legislation. We can only evaluate Obama on results. Obama's actual legislation benefited big business.

Troy –No one benefits from “attempted” legislation. But riddle me this Batman; “Please detail how he can enact any financial legislation without the direct approval and consent of congress”? Again, I need to hear your details. And as far as big business is concerned, what has he done that they have benefited from? They certainly don’t see it that way. They believe he is hostile to big business. And I know what your are referring to but I’m going to let you present your argument…..

The data does not support any improvements for the majority of us. On every quantifiable level the working class and poor, which includes the majority of Black folk are worse off.

Why are they worse off Troy? Please tell me how he has failed to prevent them from being in a finically worse position than they were five years ago. Tell me what he did to make their position worse. Tell me why the financial crisis and market crash of 2008 was President Obama’s fault and how he failed to prevent it. And finally and foremost, I want you to explain how President Obama enact any major financial legislation with the Tea Baggers and rabid republicans controlling the House of Representatives. I WANT TO SEE YOUR DETAILED ANALYSIS OF WHAT HE CAN AND CANNOT DO. No bluster or rambling of how it should be, just answer the question in a clear, definitive detailed proposal that is realistic and factual. I will wait for your response……

I have to agree with KPCBookDiva, the question is woefully flawed. One image is asking a question, yet the other one is making a suggestion. Skin complexion would have no bearing on which ad I clicked on. Heck, if one of the ads was offering free chicken, pinto beans & rice and cornbread, I don't care if Betty White was in one and Halle Berry in the other, which one do you think I would click? But maybe I missed something?

Ha! Ha! Ha! I like that......

The media is not who would have us believe most black men are into white women; black women are the ones who make this complaint.

Actually black men, like all men, are attracted to fione, well-stacked up women, whatever their color.

Whether these women can maintain the interest seems to be where the problem lies. It doesn't help that black men are spoiled because eligible ones are in short supply.

And, unfortunately, it's a constant struggle for sistas to shed the "attitude" that a long history of mistreatment has insulated them with

.

Thank you. That was brilliant Ms. Cynique. I agree. The media has nothing to do with it. The belief that all black men are obsessed with white women is a myth which was created (and still maintained), for the most part, by black women and white racists. Black men by nature (or culture, take your pick) are into curvaceous, big leg, bootylicious women with shoulder length (or longer) hair. This not the preference for every black man. But you will find that black men as a group, tend to attracted to women with the aforementioned physical characteristics -regardless of their skin color, ethnicity or race. Coco Austin, Buffy the Body, Beyonce, Anowa (The Nigerian Powerhouse) or Jennifer Lopez will never want for or lack attention from black men!

I think black men as a group, are very open and aggressive about this particular preference. And it must be noted that there are black men who will hook up with unshapely, overweight, obese, small, skinny to anaorexic and unattractive women -regardless of their skin complexion or race. For some convoluted reason, this fact seems to be overlooked or deliberately omitted from these race/sex problematic conversations. Also, the dating of non-black women by black men is generational and regional. You will see black men and non-black women of the post 1980 generation who openly date whomever they want. Even though blacks in the South generally tend to stay within their respective racial group, race and ethnicity is no longer a driving factor in the decisions/criteria for dating in West or Mid-West. I live in SoCal and I see black men with Latinas every single day. But 25 or 30 years ago – you did not see that…PERIOD! Now you do. And I often times see black women with white men which was extremely rare back in the day. No big thing today….

There are many reasons why people date people who are not of the same ethnicity or race. Some reasons are simple, others more complex. And probably much of it is simply unencumbered personal preference . But regardless, it’s an individual choice that does not have to be explained nor rationalized to anyone. In the year 2011, people simply do whatever they want regardless of antediluvian social and cultural taboos…….

Not that that is out the way; you mentioned that "...no president has faced the number of personal attacks, distortions..." As if to imply that Obama is unique. This is in and of itself is an exaggeration. When Black people were lambasting Bush II, do you think they were more sensitive? More importantly you talk about Obama being threatened as if this is a big deal. ALL presidents are threatened -- this goes with the job. Regan was shot, other presidents where assassinated!

Ya know, I have to say in all honesty, I am somewhat taken back by your naive thinking Troy. First of all, yes all the presidents have received some kind of threat or another. But no president to date has received more death threats than President Obama. Six months into his presidency, before he had enacted or supported any controversial legislation –the Secret Service said no other president had received the number of deaths threats as President Obama. A CNN source reported that the U.S. Secret Service confirmed and told them that threats on the life of the president had risen by as much as 400 percent since his inauguration. It had gone go far beyond anything the Secret Service had seen with any other president –period! And this was two years ago!

The man had not been in office one year and already the rabid haters were bleating, “We want our country back!” WTF? Want their country back from what and to what condition? What did they really mean? And at that early juncture, what had President Obama done to merit such hatred and ferocious scorn? Simple: We don’t want a nigger in the White House making decisions about our country! End of subject…….

Here is the thing Obama is under no threat of assassination because he is not pissing off the rich and powerful enough to warrant the action -- indeed they have an incentive to keep him in place.

Wrong again. To be an object of a death threat, you don’t have to piss off the rich and Wall Street bro Troy. Reagan was as pro business and pro rich as one can expect. Yet he was shot. What about Gerald Ford? Was he a pro-working and underclass warrior who pissed off the so-called oligarchs and plutocrats Cornel West loves to accuse President Obama of being in the bed with? Was Squeaky Fromm or John Hinckley agents for the rich and powerful? I don’t think so. But they were kooks, just like the anti-Obama Tea Baggers and bellicose haters who would love to see something bad happen to the president.

But those days of getting close enough to do what others did in their success/attempts to assassinate a president (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy, Ford and Reagan) are over. The Secret Service (in conjunction with other federal agencies) has made extreme advances in preparation and technology that makes it extremely difficult to hurt the president. People would be shocked to see what they do and what technology they have available to blunt an attack on the POTUS. It’s very impressive –trust me! So your assertion of not being in danger “because he is not pissing off the rich and powerful enough to warrant the action”, is totally incorrect and not supported by history……..

Yawn...........

I liked "Race Matters" by Corny...though I've always seen him totally different than Black Americans do. The fact that he makes almost a million a year yet has never set foot in West Africa (home of his actual ancestors) but went to Ethiopia & Paris and married a NON-Black Ethiopian woman tells me EVERYTHING I need to know. And Tavis Smiley lost me during a discussion on Black American women & Depression. I'd rather have a possum for a son than him.

A LOT of Black men don't see what horrible sons they are. They don't even consider their mothers women. They don't think beyond HER usefulness to their daily lives.

I really have no use for what Smiley and West are doing. If they want to make a poverty tour to call attention to the plight of impoverished Americans, I have no problems with that. But attempting to make President Obama the core issue and to suggest a nefarious argument that somehow, he is indirectly responsible or indifferent to their plight, is bullshit. Black Americans benefit from every single piece of legislation or policy he has attempted to establish (health care reform, extension of unemployment benefits, tax credits, fighting major cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, social security, etc). These two ego thirsty Negroes are shamelessly misguided and disingenuous.

Even though I have no personal use for Cornel West (never have), his never having traveled to Africa, visiting Ethiopia and France and marrying an Ethiopian woman means nothing. His personal decisions on traveling and who he decides to marry is neither my nor anyone else’s business. I have no idea why you are attempting to make this a litigious point of contention when such personal matters have nothing to do with his achievements nor his ability to perform professionally. Fredrick Douglas was married to a white woman (his first wife was black) but his entire life was devoted to the dismantlement of slavery and ending the oppression of black people. How did his personal choice of a mate compromise his strident war against slavery and racism? It didn’t….!

And as far as black men and their mothers is concerned, I have no idea what world you are living in. My mom passed away in December of 2008 and I think about her every single day. She was not only my mother but my best friend. My mom was a central part of my life and I deeply loved and respected her. And every black male that I personally know, was (some are deceased) or is very close to their mothers. Although I am sure there are some black men who are in conflict with their mothers, I personally have never met one. Every black man I have known has loved and deeply respected their mothers. I’ve met only one man (and he was white) who disliked his mother because (according to him) she deserted him and his father when he was a child for another man. So when you make absurd assertions like, “They don't even consider their mothers women. They don't think beyond HER usefulness to their daily lives…”, I have no idea who or where these black men are that you are talking about. As I previously said, I’ve personally never seen such behavior nor have I heard anyone (other than you) make such a sweeping callous generalization……

Happy birthday Ms. Cynique. We are without question blessed to grace your wisdom and commentaries whether we agree with them or not. We also would be blessed if we could live as long and still be lucid, witty, intelligent and commanding as you.

It was the majority of Black Men present...angry and verbally abusive because a Black African woman spoke directly to the Socio-political problems facing Black & Mixed Women as its own dilemma needful of revolution...while at the same time calling out the men's failure to acknowledge & represent Black FEMALE humanity in their rhetoric.

So you are suggesting black men in the audience were attacking you because you are a black woman, speaking about the issues of black women? Why would they object to that? Makes no sense........

"Jack-offs" ,"Coons", my, my what harsh words for two Brothers simply trying to bring attention to the suffering of the poor at the hands of the "plutocrats and oligarchs".

Troy, the words (even though I chose not to use them) that Carey and Cynique used are not that harsh….IMO. As I have stated numerous times, I have no problems with fair and factual criticism. But President Obama is facing an ongoing blitzkrieg by ignorant Tea Baggers, white conservatives and a contingency of eristic Negroes (enter Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, Ron Christie, et al….). The plight of the unemployed and poor is a national issue that deserves attention. No doubt. But attempting to poison the well with dissonant rhetoric against President Obama is unwarranted and misleading. As I said previously, no president has faced the number of personal attacks, distortions, revision of the facts, exaggerations and racist taunts than this man. I remember President Obama had not been in office 9 months and the crazies were already screaming, "We want our country back.." and the Secret Service reported the number of death threats was unprecedented! WTF??

I have no issue with Smiley and West calling attention to the level of unemployment and the increase of poverty in this country. But attempting to make President Obama appear to be a bystander, standing silently in a corner and then walking away while witnessing the rape of a 5 year old, is ridiculous. And what is more infuriating is the level of indefensible ignorance demonstrated by these two acerbic Negroes to the cold facts: Congress controls the money and writes the checks for any and all legislation and project funding -not the president!!!!! I have written in detail about this before. If congress is not onboard with a presidential proposal, it is a dead issue! President Obama is not a dictator nor king who can make things happen by simply saying -make it happen. He currently faces a rabid House of Representatives who are determined to reject and undermine anything he does.

Don't forget, Mitch McConnell (Senate Minority Leader) has already stated their goal is "to make President Obama a one term president". Congressional gridlock, rejection and a vicious right wing propaganda machine are their tools for success. With a frenzied cut, cap and cut, cap some more while protecting the wealthy and tax scamming corporations, what makes West and Smiley think they stand a chance of getting legislation to assist black Americans who are poor and unemployed?

President Obama is facing a merciless gauntlet of criticism and smearing every day by a bellicose cabal of Tea Baggers and virulent white conservatives. Some of their lies and distortions have reached a fever pitch and there is no letting up of the pressure on this man. I don't mind honest and accurate criticism, but the majority of the venomous hyperbole, exaggerations and outright lies, is being orchestrated to undermine his (Obama) character and ability to govern in the minds of the general public -both black and non-black. I've seen Bachmann, Perry, Romney, Hannity, republican congressman, conservative political pundits, FOX news, et al, tell one lie after another, distortions and exaggerations after about President Obama's policies and his character. It's sickening. . No president has received the number of death threats, disrespect, distortions of facts and virulent accusations from the moment he moved into the White House, than this man.

Now you have two litigious Negroes riding around the country throwing kerosene into the fire. Smiley has been a hater from day one. And now West has joined in. Although I am not a fan of Al Sharpton, I must give him respect for aggressively standing up to and heatedly addressing the rancorous nonsense that Smiley and West are spewing. I'm sure most of you have heard the radio clip of Sharpton vs. Smiley and have seen the disgraceful public cock fighting between Sharpton and West on the MSNBC Ed Schultz show, entitled "The Black Agenda". Both of these embittered nescient Negroes (West and Smiley) need to take a course in civics/American government and do some research on American fiscal policies and the financial market history of the past 30 years. By doing so, they might reverse running their mouths and making President Obama a scapegoat goat as the people they say they oppose (white conservatives and pro-business-free market capitalists).

Carey, I have refrained from calling West and Smiley coons, but I understand your sentiments……

Smiley and West poverty tour draws criticism, support

12 august 2011

Talk show host Tavis Smiley and academic activist Cornel West embarked last week on a poverty tour to highlight growing inequality in the U.S. Both West and Smiley are vocal critics of President Obama's policies.

The bus tour, which expects to stop in 16 cities, opened in Chicago on August 6. It seeks to address the failure of Washington's leaders to confront an across-the-board growth in poverty but particularly among African Americans.

Dr. West, who claims the tour is not anti-Obama, in an interview on BET said, "Tavis Smiley and I had been talking for a year about how to dramatize the poverty and humanize our perception of poor people in America. This is especially so for the Black poor. Poverty has been criminalized, poor people demonized and what we want to do is dramatize poverty and humanize our perception of poor people to overturn what has been in place for so long."

West has referred to the president despairingly as Wall Street's "mascot," drawing sharp criticism from many quarters for personalizing important political issues. Both tour promoters have complained of alleged affronts from the president - Smiley for Obama's not showing up at the now defunct State of Black America gathering in 2008, and West because the president did not provide a personal "thank you" for support during the 2008 campaign.

During the Aug. 6 Chicago meet, Smiley drew applause from the crowd when demanding, "Say the word 'poor,' Mr. President. We want to hear you say it!"

Writing at the Thegrio.com Zerlina Maxwell pointed out that a brief review of the president's recent speeches shows Smiley's claim is groundless. Maxwell wrote, "Smiley and West seem to have missed President Obama's prepared remarks on July 25th in the middle of the debt ceiling debate to the National Council of La Raza where he said, 'Not only is it not fair if all of this is done on the backs of middle-class families and poor families, it doesn't make sense. It may sound good to save a lot of money over the next five years, but not if we sacrifice our future for the next 50.'"

The anti-poverty tour is taking place at the same as the Congressional Black Caucus is holding jobs fairs and public hearings across the country dedicated to addressing the very problems highlighted by West and Smiley. Over 7,000 participated in Monday's Cleveland "For the People Jobs Initiative" event.

The same day, Smiley and West were speaking with homeless veterans in Akron, Ohio, before going on the following day to Kent State University, just 45 minutes away.

President Obama is planning his own Midwest bus tour the week of August 15, where he plans to focus on jobs. The president has "promised to make job-creating measures his top priority when Congress returns from vacation - including pending trade deals, extending payroll tax cuts and overhauling patent laws," says the Associated Press.

Labor and civil rights groups, and even sections of the business community, however, have been urging the president to fight for public works jobs, extending unemployment benefits, and an infrastructure bank.

President Obama on the other hand has since the State of the Union address signalled the deficit as a priority, an unfortunate concession, some say, to the right.

The AFL-CIO plans to launch a petition drive seeking 800,000 signatures demanding jobs and other measures to address the economic crisis.

By comparison the West and Smiley poverty tour, while highlighting critical issues, seems not to provide those affected with tools to advance their demands.

Recent polls show President Obama with overwhelming support among African Americans with some 87 percent voicing approval.

The next stop on the West-Smiley poverty tour is a town hall in Memphis today.

And your point is.....?????