Gingrich Praises Budget Deal

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says Friday night's budget deal tha taverted a federal government shutdown was "the first big step in the right direction," CNN reports.

Speaking Saturday in Greenville, S.C., Gingrich hailed the last-minute bipartisan agreement that will slice $38.5 billion in spending.politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/09/gingrich-on-budget-deal-first-big-step-in-the-right-direction/

"It's the first big step in the right direction," said Gingrich, a rumored candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. "[House Speaker] John Boehner got the largest spending cut in history."

Gingrich also said President Barack Obama was at fault for letting the budget-talks situation get out of hand.

"If the president had spent as much time negotiating a budget deal as he spent on picking the Final Four, none of which got there, or as he spent kicking a soccer ball in Brazil, they might have gotten this done a week earlier," he told CNN.