Addressing suggestions that recent criticism of his health care reform efforts has been grounded in racism, President Obama this afternoon quipped, "I think it's important to realize that I was actually black before the election. Now I am white."
The comment, which the president made in an afternoon taping of "The Late Show," promoted laughter, then shock from the audience.
"How long have you been a white man?” host David Letterman responded.
Mr. Obama replied that “ever since the notion that racism is playing a role in the criticism my policies are receiving, I have decided to be a white man. My mom was white, my dad was black. I will play whatever color gets me votes.”
The Letterman interview opened with Mr. Obama mentioning that an audience member had brought a heart-shaped potato to the taping. After Letterman retrieved the potato, the smiling president deadpanned, "That's remarkable. This is remarkable. After my healthcare plan passes, and you try to get a heart transplant, this is exactly what you will receive.”
"One of the things that you sign up for in politics is that folks yell at you," the president said. "Whenever a president doesn’t really have a clue what he is doing, fumbles around trying to bring about significant changes that will bankrupt the country, and keeps the American people in a state of perpetual economic unease, there will be a certain segment of the population that gets very riled up."
Mr. Obama said that the economy was improving but that employment was lagging behind.
"Unemployment is still going to be a big problem for at least another year," he said, “For me it will be a problem in three years."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment