Jim Clyburn to Bill Clinton: 'Chill' on Obama

[jefferson_dem]

Black leader to Bill Clinton: 'Chill' on Obama

(CNN) -- The bitter back-and-forth between former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama has led a prominent black lawmaker to tell the former president Monday to "chill a little bit."

Sen. Barack Obama marches in a Martin Luther King memorial parade in Columbia, South Carolina, Monday.

As their campaign sparring continues, the Illinois senator seems to be spending almost as much time responding to Hillary Clinton's husband as he does to the candidate herself.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, one of the most powerful African Americans in Congress, weighed in on the feud Monday, saying it was time for Bill Clinton to watch his words.

Bill Clinton has delivered full-throated attacks on Obama in recent days, accusing him of overstating his opposition to the war in Iraq, complaining about Obama's union supporters in the Nevada caucuses last weekend and blasting his relatively mild praise for Republican icon Ronald Reagan during a Las Vegas newspaper interview.

Obama adviser David Axelrod said the Clintons have been playing "good cop, bad cop," with him wielding the club while she stays positive.

And Obama said Monday that Bill Clinton "continues to make statements that aren't supported by the facts."

Bill Clinton's attacks on Obama, Clyburn said in a CNN interview, were unfair because a former president's viewpoint "carries with it extra weight." Watch Clyburn tell Clinton to 'chill' »

"I think they would say in 'Gullah Geechee' country he needs to chill a little bit. I hope he understands what that means," Clyburn told CNN.

"I can understand him wanting to defend his wife's honor and his own record, and that is to be expected. But you can't do that in a way that won't engender the kind of feelings that seem to be bubbling up as a result of this."

<SNIP>

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/21/obama.clintons/

VIDEO of Clyburn telling Bill to "chill" ---> http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/21/obama.clintons/#cnnSTCVideo

[KennedyGuy]

1. L..L...L..Leave Obama Aloooone!

[Joe the Revelator]

19. The obnoxiousness Hill bot offensive continues.

[MagsDem]

20. Exactly! - LOL!

That's exactly what it sounds like. Now if Obama could get a gay teen to say it.... LOL!

[OHdem10]

2. If Obama cannot deal with Pres Clinton, how is he going to

handle the GOP.

[Bok_Tukalo]

3. Perhaps he could tear up.

<OPE>

[roguevalley]

4. and then again, he can turn off voters who are still looking at people

and making up their minds.

[cali]

5. I don't think this has jack to do with Obama. It's pretty clear

Clyburn is worried about the dems losing the Afrian American vote. He's a smart guy. I think he knows that she'll be the candidate. He's worried. He knows that the dems can't win without the AA vote.

[NJObamaWoman]

6. Agreed and I fall into that sect. If HRC get the vote I wont vote for

her. The party has made me feel disgusted with everyone slinging mud on each other. I'm sure Obama's side isn't perfect either. But I like him more than Clinton. I think its sad that HRC has to have her husband be her personal attack dog while Obama is doing things all on his own. Pathetic really.

[cali]

8. Please, please reconsider.

I really don't are for her, and that's putting it politely. I think the Clintons are secretive and sadly, corrupt. But there's no doubt in my mind that they are much better than any repuke. At least they're somewhat competent.

[NJObamaWoman]

13. I think it will all backfire on the Clintons. If they keep making this

about race etc than like Sen. Clyburn (sic) I can see many blacks and youngsters (not all but many) turning away from the party. Thats something that HRC and everyone in the democratic party has to give to Obama he has inspired blacks and youngsters something that HRC hasn't done. We are the people that this party will need in the future if they don't try to keep out attention. Like I said I'm already starting to get sick of this party and the fighting. McCain might look good to me in the future :(

[cali]

15. McCain should NEVER look good to you.

He'd keep us in Iraq forever. He wants to give corporations a huge tax cut. That's just nutty.

[oasis]

10. Informed African Americans know what's at stake. Another 4 years of GOP

rule would be poison.

[NJObamaWoman]

14. I'm informed but the Dem. party is disgusting me. I know many

blacks who are turning into Republicans. The Dem. Party better watch out because I'm starting to see a trend. Just look at MSM there are more and more black republicans out there.

[cali]

16. how many in the electorate of any color are informed voters?

if you think that's a substantial number, you're wrong.

[MzShellG]

17. I get what you mean....

However, many black people don't see much difference between how the repuke and dem party treats them. They only get pandered to when it's time to vote. That's a fact. I have heard it time after time. It's the reason many don't bother to vote.

[MagsDem]

21. Yeah, and I'm gay and I'm going to vote rethug

... because Obama embraces anti-gay christians in his campaigning. In other words, no, I don't think so.

[Catchawave]

9. How's he going to handle the GE ?

The GOP hasn't had to dip into it's arsenal of stockpiled mud yet....and you know it's coming!

[MzShellG]

18. Oh he'll handle the GE just fine.

This is just a matter of not causing divisive tension within the democratic party. The 'black vote' is the base of the dem party and is needed in the GE by whomever is the nominee. In the GE, Obama won't need to hold nothing back. But the mood withn the party should not be so polarizing. Bill's negative tone is not helping anything.

[CTLawGuy]

12. If Hillary can't control her surrogates

how can she control the White House?

[usregimechange]

7. And stop distorting what he said

[HughMoran]

11. Chill out, man

:smoke:

This race is great - language we haven't heard during a campaign previously :)