Clyburn Tries (again) To Defuse Race Controversy

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) tried his best Tuesday to diffuse a lingering controversy in the Democratic presidential contest over race by talking about...well, race.

Clyburn, the highest ranking African-American in Congress, has aggressively reached out to the media this week to downplay a controversy that erupted last week between the top two Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

During a press briefing Tuesday, Clyburn reiterated his pledge to remain neutral in the presidential primary contest until South Carolina voters head to the polls Jan. 26.

Clyburn has repeatedly promised officials with the Democratic National Committee, as well as state legislators in South Carolina, that he would not take a side in the nominating fight in order to protect the Palmetto State's early status in the nominating process.

The most recent dust-up centered on remarks by the New York senator and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, that some interpreted as diminishing the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders.