US President Barack Obama poked fun at claims that racism was behind fierce opposition to his ambitious political agenda, joking that “I was actually black before the election.”

It was the latest attempt by Obama to tone down the debate, after former US President Jimmy Carter commented that much of the conservative fury directed at Obama’s health care plans was motivated by racism.

Obama on Monday said on the “The Late Show” with David Letterman on CBS that the fact he was elected as America’s first African-American president at all was a more accurate indicator of wider race relations in the country.

“I think it’s important to realise that I was actually black before the election.”

“One of the things that you sign up for in politics is that folks yell at you. 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,” the president said.

Obama also said in a more serious vein that Americans were weary of the war in Afghanistan, and said US troops were performing heroically there and in Iraq.

World News

1. July the deadliest month of Afghan war for US (AP)
2. Greece turns to military to restore fuel supplies (AP)
3. Argentine couples wed under new gay marriage law (AP)
4. Troops kill senior 'capo' of mighty Mexico cartel (AP)
5. Saudi, Syrian leaders make rare visit to Lebanon (AP)
6. Will Britain Give Up its Nuclear Submarines? (Time.com)
7. Escaped tiger found after massive South Africa search (Reuters)
8. Roadside bomb in Iraq kills 5 members of family (AP)
9. Pair wanted in US woman's death deported to Panama (AP)
10. U.N. tells Darfur peace force to focus on security (Reuters)
11. Floods kill more than 400 in Pakistan's northwest (Reuters)
12. Economic growth ticks higher in May (Reuters)
13. Former Australian PM Rudd hospitalised (AFP)
14. Pentagon rethinking who can access secret information (McClatchy Newspapers)
15. Rare Arab summit to forestall possible Hezbollah unrest in Lebanon (The Christian Sci...

Bollywood News