President Clinton said today he is eager to campaign for Senator Obama whenever the Democrat needs him, but has not given any thought to whether he wants to speak at the party convention in Denver.

Relations between Messrs. Clinton and Obama have only just began to thaw since Mr. Obama defeated the former president’s wife in the bruising Democratic primary that ended last month. Throughout that bare-knuckle race, Mr. Clinton had portrayed Mr. Obama as too inexperienced to be president.

Since Mr. Obama clinched the nomination, it has remained an open question as to what role Mr. Clinton would play in campaigning for him and how he could best be used at the convention.

Just weeks ago, Mr. Obama called the former president to ask for his help in winning the White House.

At a news conference today for work that his foundation is doing, Mr. Clinton said he had not thought about whether he would like to be a convention speaker.

Mr. Clinton said he had a “good talk” with Mr. Obama on the phone and is eager to get out on the road for the Illinois senator.

“I told him that whenever he wanted me to do it, I was ready, and so it’s basically on their time table,” Mr. Clinton said. “He’s got a lot of things to do between now and the convention, of which this is simply one, so I’ll do whatever I’m asked to do, whenever I can do it.”

Mr. Clinton was also asked whether he had spoken to the the Rev. Jesse Jackson regarding the crude off-air remark Rev. Jackson made about Mr. Obama in what he thought was a private conversation during a taping of a “Fox & Friends” news program. The longtime civil rights leader said he wanted to castrate Mr. Obama for speaking down to blacks.

Mr. Clinton said he had not spoken with Rev. Jackson, but added that Rev. Jackson was right to apologize to Mr. Obama for the comments. He also was a bit sympathetic.

“If all of us lived on live mics, then 100% of us in this room would be embarrassed from time to time,” Mr. Clinton said.