By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary Clinton brushed offsuggestions on Wednesday that her husband, former U.S.President Bill Clinton, does not seem to share her enthusiasmfor campaigning for Democratic White House candidate BarackObama.
"He has said he will do whatever he can and whatever he isasked to do," Clinton said, a day after her husband's spokesmanissued a one-sentence statement of support for Obama, who willface Republican John McCain in the November election.
The former president, who gave Obama's energy policy faintpraise over the weekend, has not yet said in public that hewould back Obama who narrowly defeated his wife for the party'spresidential nomination in a rough-and-tumble campaign.
A Democratic leadership aide said the former two-termpresident appears to have had a more difficult time gettingover the setback than his wife.
"But he'll get there," the aide said. "She's moving onquickly."
Hillary Clinton, who conceded defeat and endorsed Obama onJune 7, will hold her first party unity event with the senatorfrom Illinois on Friday in Unity, New Hampshire.
"It's understandable that the former president wouldn'twant to upstage what, I think, is going to be a terrific unityevent," Obama told reporters in Chicago when asked about BillClinton's low-key endorsement.
"If the question is 'do I want Bill Clinton campaigning forus, for the ticket leading into November?' the answer isabsolutely yes," Obama said.
Hillary Clinton met privately on Wednesday with Democratsin the House of Representatives, a day after returning toCongress and being embraced by fellow Senate Democrats at aclosed-door luncheon.
At both events, the Democratic senator from New York soughtto rally support for Obama and end any rift that their battlefor the Democratic nomination caused as they now head towardNovember's presidential and congressional elections.
Flanked by House Democratic leaders after Wednesday'smeeting, Clinton said: "I'm 100 percent committed to doingeverything I possibly can to make sure that Senator Obama issworn in as the next president of the United States."
Asked about a perception that her husband does not seem tobe as enthusiastic about campaigning for Obama, Clintoninitially noted he was in London helping celebrate the 90thbirthday of former South African President Nelson Mandela.
She then focused on the upcoming U.S. presidential electionand said of her husband, "There will be a lot of work for allof us as Democrats to do, including him."
House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer said he was uncertainif the former president was having a tougher time than his wifein moving beyond the presidential primary.
"I don't know if that is the case," Hoyer said in a briefinterview. "However, there's zero doubt in my mind Bill Clintonis going to enthusiastically campaign for Senator Obama."
"Why? Because Bill Clinton is a Democrat, he believes thereis a gulf of differences between the policies pursued bySenator Obama and John McCain, and he cares," Hoyer said.
Obama said on Tuesday he had not yet spoken to the formerpresident, but wants him to be part of his campaign. "He's assmart as they come. He's a great strategist," Obama said.
(Editing by Anthony Boadle)
