U.S. President Barack Obama ended a two-day spree of television interviews Monday with an appearance on comedian David Letterman's late-night talk show.
During the appearance which was taped for later broadcast President Obama discussed a number of mostly serious topics facing his administration, including unemployment, his ambitious health care overhaul proposal, and whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.
Mr. Obama acknowledged that Americans are growing weary of the war effort, and said he would first make sure there is a coherent strategy before deciding on troop deployments.
The president also showed a more light-hearted side, accepting a heart-shaped potato from a woman in the audience and discussing his daughters' summer vacation.
Mr. Obama also fielded a question about whether intensely negative reaction by some opponents to his health care plan is due in part to his race. The audience laughed and applauded when he said it is important to realize he was black "before the election." He called it an "extraordinary honor" to have been elected the first African-American president.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
