Cornel West Takes Aim At Black MSNBC Hosts For 'Selling Their Souls' For Obama

Cornel West Takes Aim at Black MSNBC Hosts For Supporting Obama
Dr. Cornell West, philosopher, author, critic, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America, speaks to the crowd rallying in front of the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on October 7, 2011 in Southern California, following a prayer service and march by the Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUPJ) with a call to action to stop the wars and fund jobs on the 10th anniversary of the War in Afghanistan. The United States and Afghanistan marked 10 years since the US went to war against the Taliban, triggering a decade-long conflict that has cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)
Dr. Cornell West, philosopher, author, critic, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America, speaks to the crowd rallying in front of the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles on October 7, 2011 in Southern California, following a prayer service and march by the Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace (ICUPJ) with a call to action to stop the wars and fund jobs on the 10th anniversary of the War in Afghanistan. The United States and Afghanistan marked 10 years since the US went to war against the Taliban, triggering a decade-long conflict that has cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. AFP PHOTO/Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)

Cornel West is no stranger to controversy, and this time his fervent slingshot is aimed at black MSNBC hosts.

During an interview on "Democracy Now" West criticized Al Sharpton, MSNBC host Melissa Harris-Perry, and frequent guest host Michael Eric Dyson for "selling their souls" in exchange for insider access to Obama.

"They want to turn their back to poor and working people. And it's a sad thing to see them as apologists for the Obama administration in that way, given the kind of critical background that all of them have had at some point."

The activist also made a shot at the MSNBC personalities lack of dedication to black interests by inviting "them back to the black prophetic tradition after Obama leaves."

West didn't hold back when it came to Obama either. During the interview he called President Obama a "Rockefeller republican in blackface."

West has been ambivalent in his opinions on the Commander In Chief. He's not a member of the camp that believes Obama is a socialist or a Muslim but he's certainly not his biggest supporter.

Early this year he accused Obama of being "obsessed with being on Mount Rushmore" and his legacy.

During this year's presidential election the scholar said that Obama was a better candidate for the presidency than Mitt Romney but his policies did not get the same approval.

When asked about his opinion on the foreign policy he called Obama a "disastrous response to a catastrophe." West is particularly against the White House's overseas drone campaign which Obama avoided discussing during the presidential debate on foreign policy.

Would Cornel West be a better man for the job? We'll never know.

The scholar says he would never run for president due to the "neo-liberals who are running things right now."

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