Clyburn to Clinton: 'Chill' on Obama

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- The increasingly acrimonious exchanges between Barack Obama and Bill Clinton prompted a prominent black U.S. congressman to tell Clinton to "chill."

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., one of the most powerful African-Americans in Congress, said Monday the former president needs to curb his tongue, CNN reported. He has heaped criticism on the Illinois senator and a challenger of Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, accusing him of overstating his opposition to the war in Iraq, complaining about Obama's union supporters in the Nevada caucuses and chastising him for mildly praising Republican icon Ronald Reagan.

"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. "Gullah Geechee" refers to African Americans living in South Carolina's Low Country region.

Clyburn said he could understand Clinton wanting to defend his wife's and his own record, "(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."