Americans Away From Home

It's time that someone pointed out directly what the Clintons are doing in this campaign.

Representative James E. Clyburn, the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, said that Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton "are committed to doing everything they possibly can to damage Obama to a point that he could never win." Representative Clyburn, one of the most influential African-American leaders in the U.S., said this view appeared to be almost "unanimous" among African-Americans.

Mr. Clyburn is an undeclared superdelegate.

"Black people are incensed over all of this," added Mr. Clyburn, the Democratic whip in the House, and the representative from South Carolina. He was referring to a series of statements Bill Clinton has made in the primary race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

In a New York Times interview, Mr. Clyburn said there might be an irreparable breach between Mr. Clinton and an African-American constituency that once revered him, caused by Mr. Clinton's conduct in this campaign. "When he was going through his impeachment problems, it was the black community that bellied up to the bar," Mr. Clyburn said. "I think black folks feel strongly that that this is a strange way for President Clinton to show his appreciation."

Mr. Clyburn has vowed that he would not say or do anything that might influence the outcome of the primary race. He said he remains officially uncommited as a superdelegate and has no immediate plans to endorse either candidate, although both candidates courted him before the January South Carolina primary.

Clinton campaign spokesman Jay Carson refused to specifically address Mr. Clyburn's statements, stating, "Look, President Clinton has an impeccable record on race, civil rights and issues that matter to the African-American community, the strongest of any president in our time." (NY Times story here).

Carole