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Obama: Americans will support Afghan plan

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said he believes the American people will be supportive of his decision on U.S. strategy and troop presence in Afghanistan.

"After eight years -- some of those years in which we didn't have resources or strategy to get the job done -- it is my intention to finish the job," Obama said during a media availability with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House.

Obama said he would make an announcement "to the American people about how we intend to move forward ... shortly."

Several media outlets reported Obama will discuss his decision and reasoning during a national address Dec. 1.

"I feel very confident that when the American people hear a clear rationale for what we're doing there, and how we will achieve our goals, they will be supportive," Obama said.

It is in security interests of the United States and the world to ensure al-Qaida and its terrorist allies "cannot operate effectively" in safe havens dotting Afghanistan, he said.

"The whole world has a core security interest in making sure the kind of extremism and violence that is emanating from this region is tackled, confronted in a serious way," Obama said.

The issue also must be considered in the context of the broader international community, Obama said, adding he would discuss "the obligations of our international partners" soon.

Ultimately, however, "the Afghan people ... are going to have to provide for their own security," Obama said, and the United States must ensure Afghan security forces are trained and equipped.

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has urged the president to deploy 40,000 troops in addition to the 68,000 U.S. troops already in Afghanistan.

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Celebrities on state dinner guest list

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The guest list for the state dinner at the White House Tuesday included top U.S. and Indian officials, labor leaders, journalists and Hollywood celebrities.

In addition to President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the guest list included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Attorney General Eric Holder. The list also included Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Labor leaders Andrew Stern and Richard Trumka were also invited, along with author Deepak Chopra and journalists Sanjay Gupta, Katie Couric, Fareed Zakaria, Robin Roberts and Brian Williams.

Hollywood was represented by producers David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, directors Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shyamalan, actor Blair Underwood and actress Alfre Woodward.

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Poll: Obama's approval among whites slips

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama's approval among white Americans has fallen to 39 percent since he took office in January, Gallup Daily poll results indicated.

Overall, Obama's approval rating slipped below 50 percent for the first time in his presidency, a 16 percentage point drop since the 66 percent average he enjoyed during his first full week in office, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said of its results released Tuesday.

Support among blacks for Obama averaged 93 percent during his time in office, and has been at or above 90 percent since he was sworn in, accounting for the reason Obama's support among non-white respondents didn't drop as much, Gallup said.

Support for Obama among non-whites dropped a total of 7 percentage points -- down 5 percentage points among Hispanics, along with declines among Asians, Native Americans and those of mixed race, Gallup results indicated.

Among political parties, Republicans' approval rating fell 24 points from the time Obama took office until the latest polling. Independents' approval of Obama was down 18 points, while support among Democrats dipped 6 points.

Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews with 3,611 adults conducted Nov. 16-22 as part of Gallup Daily tracking. The total sample has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

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Police: Ky. census worker killed himself

LEXINGTON, Ky., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- A U.S. census worker found dead in Kentucky tried to fake a homicide while actually taking his own life, investigators said Tuesday.

Bill Sparkman, 51, had life insurance policies with suicide clauses and apparently hoped to secure the money for his family, Kentucky State Police Capt. Lisa Rudzinkski said. Rudzinski, one of the lead detectives in the investigation, spoke to reporters at a news conference, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

"We believe it was an intentional act on his part to take his own life," Rudzinski told reporters at a news conference.

Sparkman's naked body was found hanging in a cemetery in Clay County Sept. 12. The word "fed" had been written on his chest in magic marker and his Census identification taped to his head.

Rudzinski said investigators concluded Sparkman wrote on his own chest because the letters had been written from bottom to top. They also found no signs he had struggled with anyone and no one else's DNA was on evidence recovered at the scene.