“First of all, I think it’s important to realize that I was actually black before the election.”
— President Barack Obama, on the Late Show with David Letterman Tuesday night. In the first appearance of a sitting President on Letterman’s show, Obama covered health care and Afghanistan, but also addressed concerns that the rage seen at recent town hall meetings was rooted in racism. He doesn’t think it has anything to do with the color of his skin since that didn’t seem to stop a large number of Americans from electing him. His explanation for the outbursts and anger? “When a president tries to enact significant changes, a certain segment of the population gets riled up.” –Jessica Shambora