One of the members of Premier Ewart Brown's Council of Economic Advisors has attacked Barack Obama's presidential campaign ¿ just days after the Premier wrote offering words of support.

Former chairman and CEO of Black Entertainment Television Bob Johnson, who is one of Hillary Clinton's most prominent black supporters, said on Sunday he was insulted by the characterisation by rival Barack Obama's presidential campaign of her remarks about the civil rights movement, The Associated Press reported.

Mr. Johnson, America's first black billionaire, who was one of the guests at the Premier's gala weekend last year, said Obama's campaign had acted dishonestly and had distorted Clinton's remarks about Martin Luther King Jr.

Johnson also seemed to hint at Obama's acknowledged youthful drug use, an issue that led another Clinton campaign official to resign. Johnson later denied that was the case.

Clinton was quoted just before the New Hampshire primary as saying King's dream of racial equality was realised only when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Some black leaders have criticized that remark as suggesting Johnson deserved more credit than the slain civil rights leader for the passage and enactment of major civil rights legislation.

While introducing Clinton at Columbia College on Sunday, Johnson criticised Obama's camp.

"That kind of campaign behaviour would not be reasonable with me for a guy who says 'I want to be a reasonable, likable, Sidney Poitier,"' said Johnson, owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. He commented after Clinton said in a televised interview on Sunday that she hoped the campaign would not be about race.

Johnson also said Obama's own record should give voters pause.

"To me, as an African American, I am frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues — when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood; I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in his book — when they have been involved," Johnson said.

Obama wrote about his teenage drug use — marijuana, alcohol and sometimes cocaine — in his memoir, "Dreams from My Father."

Johnson later said his comments referred to Obama's work as a community organiser in Chicago "and nothing else. Any other suggestion is simply irresponsible and incorrect," he said in a statement released by Clinton's campaign.

Premier Brown has voiced encouragement for various US politicians vying for the presidency.

He wrote to Obama earlier this month offering congratulations on his caucus victory in Iowa and said Bermudians were cheering him on.

In response to an editorial in The Royal Gazette questioning the wisdom of congratulating primary winners and claiming only Sen. Obama had received a letter, the Premier's Press Secretary Glenn Jones said yesterday: "Dr. Brown has decided to send congratulations messages to Primary and Caucus victors who either have a connection to Bermuda or a personal connection to the Premier.

"The Premier met Senator Barack Obama and Sen. Clinton at a Congressional Black Caucus event last fall. The Premier also met Sen. John McCain during his most recent visit to Bermuda.

"All three of those Senators have received, or are about to receive through the post, correspondence from the Premier. Incidentally, there is no known connection between Governor Mike Huckabee and Bermuda, and no previous connection between the Governor and the Premier ¿ so there was no note sent to Gov. Huckabee following his Caucus win in Iowa."

A letter from Premier Brown to Hillary Clinton, dated January 10, congratulated her on her win in the New Hampshire primary "even when the chips appear to be stacked against you".

Dr. Brown said he had met her husband in Martha's Vineyard, where he and his wife have a home, years earlier.

In a letter, also dated January 10, Dr. Brown congratulated Sen. McCain on his New Hampshire victory and reminded him of their meeting last year in Bermuda. Only the letter to sen. Obama was released to The Royal Gazette.

Asked whether it was wise to only send congratulatory letters to candidates with a relationship with Bermuda or the Premier, Mr. Jones responded: "It's certainly no less wise than a newspaperman passing along assumptions as facts to his readers."

See Glenn Jones' letter on Page 4