Clyburn, Candidates Look To Move On From King Dustup

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn recently expressed concern about Hillary Clinton's statement concerning Martin Luther King Jr. Clinton had suggested that President Lyndon B. Johnson was ultimately responsible for civil rights reform because "Dr. King's dream began to be realized" when Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The comments and subsequent debate set off a flurry of press coverage concerning potential race and gender divisions within the Democratic Party.

Now Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, says Democrats need to move on.

"I think our well-prepared candidates ought to be allowed to get back to discussing their vision," he said, according to the Associated Press. Clyburn, whose endorsement could effect the outcome of the South Carolina Democratic primary, has vowed not to endorse a candidate. He said he had spoken twice to Bill Clinton and to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama about the issue and was satisfied with their comments.

"I am hopeful that these candidates will be allowed to lay out their vision for our country... and that can't be done if all the focus is on distinguishing factors like race and gender rather than on shared and individual visions" for the country, he added.

Last night both Obama and Clinton issued statements apparently designed to end the controversy. "...when it comes to civil rights and our commitment to diversity, when it comes to our heroes — President John F. Kennedy and Dr. King — Senator Obama and I are on the same side," Clinton said. Obama, meanwhile, praised Bill and Hillary Clinton for their record on civil rights.