Cornel West: Obama 'Obsessed With Being On Mount Rushmore'

Cornel West criticized President Barack Obama, saying he's "obsessed with being on Mount Rushmore" and is focusing too much on his "legacy."

“I think at this point he’s obsessed with being on Mount Rushmore, he wants to be a great figure in the pantheon of American presidents," West told the Financial Times. “If you’re thinking about Mount Rushmore, you’re thinking about your legacy, your legacy, your legacy. Puh-lease.”

Though he isn't totally pleased with the president, the Princeton professor said he felt Obama is being unfairly attacked by conservatives and those involved with the tea party movement.

"He’s not a Muslim, he's definitely not a socialist," West told the FT.

This isn't the first time West has criticized the president. In early May 2012, the famed civil rights activist and scholar told HuffPost he has a "very, very deep disagreement" with the foreign policy "Obama is promoting."

(Watch HuffPost's interview with Cornel West above.)

HuffPost's Adam Goldberg and Hunter Stuart report:

When asked his opinion of President Barack Obama's first term thus far, West said the current commander-in-chief is "much much better than Mitt Romney" but the rest of his assessment wasn't exactly glowing.

"Mitt Romney is a catastrophic response to a catastrophe, whereas Obama is a disastrous response to a catastrophe. Is disaster better than catastrophe? Yes it is. I wish we had a third candidate who could actually do something, but we don't at the moment," West said.

The Princeton University professor was equally harsh in his critique of U.S. foreign policy. Regarding the White House's overseas drone campaign, West said, "The Obama administration is involved in some very ugly killing of innocent people."