Bill Clinton: Obama has ‘good instincts’

Former President Bill Clinton said on Sunday that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has "shown a remarkable ability to learn and grow in this campaign," but he has not yet achieved greatness.

Clinton said that thus far in his career, Obama has only achieved the "personal accomplishments" of being elected to the Illinois state Senate and the U.S. Senate, but "when he becomes president , he'll be doing things for the American people and for the world. And the greatness will then become apparent because of the good he'll do," Clinton said.

{mosads}Clinton added, "I think what you want in a president at a time like this is somebody with good instincts who generally starts in a right position and then just keeps getting better and that's what he's done.The former president said he'll do "whatever I'm asked to do" to help Obama get elected, but he continued to offer praise of Republican candidate John McCain.

The degree of Clinton's support for Obama has repeatedly been called into question through the general election following a long and at times bitter nomination battle between the Illinois Democrat and Clinton's wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

The former president was asked by host Tom Brokaw if Clinton considers Obama to be "a great man" to which Clinton answered he had only met Obama once or in passing.

Clinton said he does think some disaffected Clinton voters will support McCain because of his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a running mate.

"But I don't think there'll be many people who do that," Clinton said.