Barack Obama, after receiving a tepid endorsement from Bill Clinton, said he has no concerns that bad blood between them will undermine his bid for the presidency.

Speaking at a press conference in Chicago ion Wednesday, the presumptive Democratic nominee praised the former president as a brilliant political tactician who is welcome on his campaign team and in his administration.

Obama also talked up his upcoming Friday campaign stop with former rival Hillary Clinton and suggested her husband's hesitancy to give a full-throated endorsement stemmed from a desire not to steal the show.

"It's understandable that the former president wouldn't want to upstage what is going to be a terrific unity event over the next day and a half," Obama said.

He added: "Absolutely, yes, I want (Bill Clinton) involved. He is a brilliant politician, he was an outstanding president, so I want his help not only in campaigning but also in governing, and I'm confident I'll get that."

The former president, after weeks of notable silence, backed Obama this week through a spokesman, who said Clinton is "committed" to helping elect the Illinois senator.

But aides said the former president has yet to receive a call from Obama to discuss strategy or how he will be used by the campaign.

Still, the Obama campaign is moving to dispel concerns that there is lingering tension between it and the Clintons. Bill Clinton was one of Obama's most vocal critics during the primary campaign.

Obama plans to meet with some of Hillary Clinton's top fundraisers in Washington, D.C., Thursday. The session comes after Obama on Tuesday asked his finance team to help Clinton pay back at least $10 million from her failed presidential campaign.

Their Friday campaign stop will be, symbolically, in the New Hampshire town of Unity, where they each won 107 votes.

"She can be an extraordinarily effective surrogate for me," Obama said Wednesday of his former rival. "I think we can send Senator Clinton anywhere and she can be effective. ... I'm looking forward to campaigning vigorously with her."

Clinton also returned to her role as the junior senator from New York this week in Washington, D.C., and she now calls herself just another superdelegate. She met with House Democrats on Wednesday as part of her return to Capitol Hill.

"This election is a make-or-break election and I am 100 percent committed to doing everything I possible can to make sure that Senator Obama is sworn in as the next president of the United States," Clinton said.

She said her husband, too, "has said he'll do whatever he can and whatever he's asked."

Despite the encouraging words, not all voters are buying her dedication.

A new Rasmussen Reports national poll found just 37 percent of voters think Clinton wants Obama to win the White House.

The poll was taken Sunday of a thousand likely voters and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

FOX News' Major Garrett contributed to this report.