South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, one of the most influential black leaders in Congress, said Bill Clinton's racially charged comments over the course of the presidential campaign have "incensed" the black community, according to an article Thursday on The New York Times Web site.

Clyburn, a Democratic superdelegate who has not yet endorsed either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, told the Times that Bill Clinton's "bizarre" conduct on the campaign trail threatens to damage his once vibrant relationship with the black community.

"When he was going through his impeachment problems, it was the black community that bellied up to the bar," Clyburn said. "I think black folks feel strongly that ... this is a strange way for President Clinton to show his appreciation."

He added that black Americans are "incensed over all of this" and almost unanimously believe the Clintons "are committed to doing everything they possibly can to damage Obama to a point that he could never win."

Bill Clinton took heat in late January for equating Obama's victory in the South Carolina primary to Jesse Jackson's win in the state 20 years ago. Obama supporters said the remarks were demeaning since they compared him with a black candidate whose appeal was more narrow.

But the comments came up again Monday, when Clinton told a Philadelphia radio station that he believed Obama "played the race card on me" during the incident, an allegation Obama swiftly brushed off.

Obama lost in the Pennsylvania primary after a long and bitter battle with Clinton, but his black support seems unshakable. Ninety percent of black voters cast their ballot for Obama Tuesday, exit polls showed.

Click here to read the Clyburn article in The New York Times.