WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Joe Biden continued to defend himself Wednesday night for comments he made about Sen. Barack Obama, telling Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show" he was trying to compliment his potential rival for the Democratic presidential nomination. (Video: Watch Biden's previous gaffes)

"What I was attempting to be -- but not very artfully -- was complimentary," Biden told Stewart regarding his comments to the New York Observer describing Obama "as the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

"This is an incredible guy, c'mon! he's a phenomenon," Biden continued. "And look -- the other part of this that got me in trouble was using the word "clean" -- I should have said fresh. What I meant is he's got new ideas; he's a new guy on the block."

Obama, who originally brushed off Biden's remarks Wednesday, later issued a statement considerably more critical of the comments, calling them "historically inaccurate."

"African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate."

In the "Daily Show" interview, Biden told Stewart, "Let me tell you something I spoke to Barack today," Biden said as the host quipped, "I bet you did."

"I also spoke to Jesse (Jackson) and Al Sharpton," Biden continued.

"And Michael Jordan and anybody you could get your hands on. The Jackson Five," Stewart interrupted."