(CNN) -- Often forgotten in our national political discourse are those who need our attention the most: the poor. On Thursday evening in Washington, D.C., prominent broadcaster and author Tavis Smiley is setting out to remedy the situation with an important bipartisan discussion of poverty in America entitled, "Vision for a New America: A Future Without Poverty." The goal of the discussion, for which Smiley deserves credit, is to bring much-deserved attention and aid to America's poor. Systemic poverty maligns every generation of Americans, but the 2008 recession and subsequent lackluster recovery have exaggerated the problem to a crisis level.
@highlight
William Bennett: Often forgotten in our national political discourse are the poor
@highlight
Bennett: More government intervention may not solve the problem of poverty
@highlight
He says education, family values, earned success are the pillars of upward mobility
@highlight
Bennett: The first step to alleviating poverty is to promote schools, families, churches
At the same time, @placeholder's family unit is decaying in record fashion.