Paul Ryan: Running for President 'In Back of My Mind'

Running for president in 2016 is "in the back of my mind," says Paul Ryan, but he isn't making decisions about his current job based on his political ambitions.

"People always say, 'Well this could hurt your future ambitions,'" the House Budget chairman told ABC News, in reference to budget deal he helped craft that passed in the House Thursday night.  "If I'm not good at this job, why should I ask somebody for another job?"

The Wisconsin Republican congressman and former vice presidential candidate has been criticized by tea party groups over the budget deal he worked on with the Democratic Senate Budget Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray.

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The critics say the deal didn't cut spending enough and Ryan compromised too much.

The House Budget Committee chairman said that this budget agreement was necessary to avoid another government shutdown.

"We don't think government shutdowns are a good idea," he said.

Ryan also said that in a divided government, "you're not always going to get what you want every time . . . You have to make some common ground decisions to get things done."

"My job is not to cloud my judgement with personal ambition," the Ryan said. "My job is to do my job and that is things like this. If I have to stop my self from doing what I think is right to become president, then I don't want to be president."

"But for all these people who say I'm hurting my political ambitions, that's just not my concern," Ryan said.

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