President Barack Obama was a guest of David Letterman Monday night, the first sitting president to appear on his show.  The discussion was lively and showcased the fact that amid all of the background noise surrounding the White House, the Commander in Chief has managed to keep his sense of humor.

When Letterman asked Obama about former president Jimmy Carter’s assertion that racism is behind recent political attacks, Obama responded, “It’s important to realize that I was actually black before the election.”

The discussion took on a serious tone with the tough subjects of war and health care.  Obama said the country gets “riled up” with big change.  He said, “People are just frustrated and angry right now because they have gotten a raw deal.”

The Letterman crowd was on its best behavior, giving the president a standing ovation at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway.  The band even managed a drum heavy Hail to The Chief.

After the early taping, Obama reportedly put on his gym clothes and a baseball cap and played some basketball with his aides at a church across the street from his Midtown Manhattan hotel.

On a side note, Obama had a fan at the 2009 Emmy Awards on Sunday night.  Soap star Victoria Rowell was sporting a dress festooned with large oval photos of the president.  Unfortunately it may have earned her the Worst Dress of the night honors – check it out here.

View more photos of Obama’s security detail and the Obama Letterman video below.

Photos:  WENN

Filed under: Across the Nation, Barack Obama, David Letterman