Mr Clinton's back-to-back appearances at four churches in this city's historically black heartland appeared intended to smooth over perceptions that he injected race into the campaign in the heated run-up to the Democratic primary in South Carolina.

Illinois Sen Barack Obama scored a 2-to-1 victory over New York Sen Hillary Rodham Clinton in South Carolina on Jan 26, and the two are tied in California among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a Field Poll released on Sunday.

California holds its presidential primaries in two days, one of more than 20 states with contests on Super Tuesday.

The former president never uttered Mr Obama's name when he spoke for about 20 minutes at the City of Refuge church in Gardena, but struck a conciliatory tone in describing the Democratic contest as 'an embarrassment of riches.' He noted the historic nature of the campaign, with a woman and a black candidate in the running for the party's nomination.

'I'm not against anybody,' said Mr Clinton, who on stage was surrounded by a band and a 75-member choir. He was greeted warmly by the roughly 3,000 people who filled the pews.

Mr Clinton gave a low-key but forceful endorsement of his wife. He urged parishioners to support her candidacy - he called her a 'world-class change-maker' - because of her position on issues important to them, such as health care, help for Iraq war veterans, education and job creation.

'You need somebody who can make these changes,' Mr Clinton said, a reference to the experience his wife has promoted on the campaign trail.

Mr Clinton aides said the church tour was unrelated to political events in South Carolina, where the Clinton and Obama campaigns accused the other of fanning racial flames.

At one appearance, Mr Bill Clinton said he had been told his wife would not win the primary because the candidates were getting votes 'because of their race or gender.'

His comment that Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist, also won South Carolina when he ran for president in 1984 and 1988 was interpreted by some as an effort to diminish the significance of Mr Obama's win. Mr Jackson did not become the party's presidential nomination. -- AP