Bill Clinton to tour black churches in L.A.

(CNN) -- In the run-up to Super Tuesday, former President Bill Clinton is planning a tour of African-American churches in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday.

A prominent elected official who will be joining him has described it as Clinton's mea culpa tour to the black community, although the Clinton campaign disputes that idea.

The former president set off a firestorm of criticism for comments he made during the South Carolina primary, remarks that were widely interpreted as racially insensitive.

He has adamantly denied he was playing racial politics.

Exit polls indicated Bill Clinton's aggressive campaigning might have contributed to his wife's stunning defeat in the South Carolina primary.

A majority of South Carolina voters said Bill Clinton's campaigning was important to their vote. Of that majority, 48 percent cast ballots for Barack Obama while 37 percent went for Clinton, according to CNN exit polling.

Some analysts believe that the former president's remarks on the trail may have contributed to Sen. Ted Kennedy's decision to endorse Obama.

The ex-president's tour of African-American churches comes as the Clinton campaign fights to win a coveted prize on Super Tuesday -- delegate-rich California, where African-Americans make up 7 percent of Democratic primary voters. See which states hold contests on Super Tuesday »

"They need to go touch the people like they did before. The bickering they got into in South Carolina must be put aside," one of the officials who plans to join the former president on Sunday told CNN. The official spoke on condition of anonymity until the campaign officially announces the trip.

"Bill is going to have to come back among those who loved him and he did so much for. He is going to have to do it -- I can't do it for him -- and face the voters," the source said. "It'll put him back in the comfort zone, and I think you'll see [Hillary Clinton's] numbers go up."

A spokesman for the Clinton campaign in California disputes the notion the stops are intended to make amends with the black community before the state's voters head to the polls this Tuesday.

"He's very popular with Latinos, African-Americans, it's absolutely not a mea culpa tour," spokesman Luis Vizcaino said.

CNN's Candy Crowley reported that after the South Carolina contest, some unpaid advisers to the Clinton campaign agreed that Bill Clinton's remarks "hurt more than helped" his wife's campaign. Since then, her husband's remarks have been muted and he has ramped down criticism of the Illinois senator.

But Vizcaino insisted the tensions did not reverberate in California.

"Right after the [South Carolina] debate, where some people felt there was a lot of tension with the African-American community, [Hillary Clinton] came to Los Angeles and had a discussion with members of the African-American community here. And people here said, 'No one cares about the controversy or black-versus-brown or brown-versus white-tension -- we want to know about jobs, and how she'll help our community.'

"I don't think there was one single question raised there about -- 'We feel you are using race or you disrespected Martin Luther King Jr.', nothing like that," Vizcaino said.

The politicians joining the president on Sunday expect to visit black churches in South Central Los Angeles, with additional stops possible in Inglewood and West Los Angeles.

Sen. Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton will attend separate events in California this weekend. Vizcaino said it's all evidence the campaign "is not taking anything for granted."

"The former president remains very, very popular in this state." he said. "It's still referred to as 'Clinton country.'" E-mail to a friend

All About Bill Clinton • Hillary Clinton