Cuomo: White House Race a 'Gut Check' for Nation

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the White House race is a "gut check election for America," and offered a stinging indictment of the Republican presidential ticket on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina.

Cuomo has downplayed interest in a possible 2016 White House bid. But his rousing address before hundreds of New York Democrats was unlikely to quiet the speculation. It included a sweeping rebuke of the budget plan by GOP running mate Paul Ryan and a firm defense of President Barack Obama's policies.

Cuomo was not speaking on the convention floor. He was spending just one day in Charlotte while several potential 2016 contenders, including Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, Virginia Sen. Mark Warner and others were meeting with key delegations and party leaders.