Obama: 'I Was Black Before the Election'
President Barack Obama visited "The Late Show" with David Letterman on Monday to talk health care reform -- and to remind constituents that criticism of his efforts isn't necessarily rooted in racism.
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"I think it's important to realize that I was actually black before the election," President Obama joked to Letterman. The Commander-in-Chief continued, saying that the notion of racism -- voiced by former Prez Jimmy Carter -- "tells you a lot about where the country's at."
"One of the things that you sign up for in politics is that folks yell at you," Obama said, noting that "whenever a president tries to bring about significant changes, particularly during times of economic unease, there is a certain segment of the population that gets very riled up." He pointed to the experiences of FDR, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan as examples.
This marked Mr. Obama's fifth visit to "The Late Show," his first as president.
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