Clinton seeks to smooth relations with Obama

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Bill Clinton said he might have gone too far in attacking Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton said on Friday, adding that both Democratic presidential campaigns should focus on issues.

"He said several times yesterday that maybe he got a little bit carried away," Hillary Clinton said on CBS' "Early Show."

"So we're all going to, on both sides I think, you know, try to bring this debate and this campaign back to the issues that are important," said the New York senator, who would be the first woman U.S. president.

The campaigns of Clinton and Obama, the top two contenders for the Democratic nomination, have engaged in an increasingly bitter war of words, including a debate on Monday that featured sometimes personal attacks.

Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black president, has complained specifically about comments from Bill Clinton, including his charge that Obama's consistent opposition to the Iraq war was "a fairy tale."

Hillary Clinton, on ABC's "Good Morning America," said her husband "obviously is a passionate advocate for my cause, as are the wives of my two major opponents. But I think all of us just need to take a deep breath here because we know we'll have a united Democratic Party once this nomination is determined."

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is the other major candidate vying for his party's nomination.

On NBC's "Today," she added, "It is perfectly legitimate to draw comparisons and contrasts ... It has been obviously an incredibly intense campaign."

(Reporting by Vicki Allen and Andy Sullivan)