Bill Clinton vows to do what he can to elect Obama

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said Republican John McCain is "a great man," but he expects Democrat Barack Obama to show "greatness" as president and will do what he can to get him elected on November 4.

Long dogged by questions about his commitment to Obama, who defeated his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, for the Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton said he admires McCain yet believes Obama would be the better president.

"Hillary is the one who told me go help him (Obama). She said this guy's got real skills. She said he's got almost unlimited potential," Clinton told NBC's "Meet the Press" in a prerecorded interview aired on Sunday.

"I'm going to do my very best to do ever single thing he asks me to do," said Clinton, who met with Obama at Clinton's New York office this month.

"I am developing a really good relationship with Senator Obama," the former two-term Democratic president said.

Clinton offered some advice to Obama's vice presidential running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, in his debate on Thursday with McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

"I don't think he has to whack her or should," Clinton said, noting many undecided voters like Palin and McCain.

Clinton said Biden should instead focus why he and Obama should be elected. "I'd be quite specific," he said.

Clinton said he consider McCain, a decorated former Navy fighter pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam, "a great man."

But Clinton said he disagrees with McCain on a number of issues and praised efforts by Obama -- a first-term senator from Illinois -- to revive the economy, expand health care and move the United States toward energy independence.

"When he becomes president, he will be doing things for the American people and for the world, and the greatness will then become apparent because of the good he will do," Clinton said.

(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro; Editing by David Wiessler)