TAVIS SMILEY: The reason that we started those annual State of the Black Union symposium is because I was so disappointed every January in what the President had to say and more often did not have to say about the real state of our union, this lie that‘s told every year that the state of our union is strong.
CORNEL WEST: You heard it again.
TAVIS SMILEY: You heard it again this year.
CORNEL WEST: Another lie another lie.
TAVIS SMILEY: Exactly, so what do you make of, how are you defining strong and how does that definition apply to people of all races and all colors and all creeds? The state of our union is strong for poor people who are growing exponentially in this country? So I never put a bunch of stock in the speech and President Obama is masterful speech giver and in the terms of the ascetic in terms of the delivery in terms of the guest who he had seated in the gallery with Mrs. Obama.
It was beautiful speech, wonderful delivery I think you’re right he titillated us by putting stuff out there. But, I’m watching this and I’m trying to juxtapose what’s coming out of his mouth with his policy, his rhetoric with the record. And so you can talk about Congress being aware about what the drones are doing, but I’m thinking Eric Holder they wrote this memo ha ha that’s allowed this to happen. So I hear what you’re saying, but I see what’s happening. I’m thinking of the innocent women and children. I’m thinking of how much more robust your use of those drones has been vis-a-vis or vs George Bush.