Obama to Bill Clinton: Your wife is 'all-around more impressive'

US President Barack Obama praised the intelligence and talents of his top diplomat, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while ribbing her husband and his White House predecessor Bill Clinton at a meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative.

According to Politico, Obama turned to Bill Clinton and asked: "What it's like to be married to someone who is smarter, better-looking and all-around more impressive than you are."

A bit more good-natured teasing ensued at Clinton's annual global shindig at the New York Sheraton.

In an interview on Wednesday, former President Clinton said he is deeply sympathetic to Obama's and the Democrats's current political difficulties, but said the president should try to better connect, embrace people's frustration, and also offer hope.

"He's being criticised for being too disengaged, for not caring. So, he needs to turn into it. So, I just tell him to sort of try to get the country up again without being - looking - naive or la-la, but be optimistic about our future," the former president said.

"Embrace people's anger, including their disappointment at you. And just ask 'em to not let the anger cloud their judgment. Let it concentrate their judgment. And then, make your case," he added.