Bill Clinton: 'Don't get too disgusted' by 'fiscal cliff' negotiations

Former President Bill Clinton sought to strike a comforting tone Wednesday, telling a lecture audience they shouldn't "get too disgusted" by ongoing budget negotiations in Washington.

"Don't get too disgusted by what you see — they're doing a little dance now," Clinton said, equating the two sides to sumo wrestlers circling one another in the ring. "I'll be very surprised if they don't do a reasonably acceptable deal."

The president made the remarks, reported by the San Jose Mercury News, at De Anza College's Flint Center as part of the 45th Annual Celebrity Forum Speakers Series.

Clinton said a deal would be struck, but that it must include Republicans allowing the Bush-era tax cuts to expire.

Clinton was also asked about the odds his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, would make a presidential bid of her own in 2016. Clinton called his wife "the most gifted person in public service in my generation," but played coy about a possible bid.

"If I did know, I wouldn't tell you," he said.

But while Hillary has claimed she's looking forward to rest after concluding her term as secretary of State, her husband insisted she was still more than physically capable to make another run for the White House.

"She's in great shape," Clinton said. "She has unbelievable stamina."

The president added that his New Year's resolution was to help his wife "deal with the decompression I know goes with getting off the merry-go-round."

"It's going to be a new chapter in our life,'' he said. "And I'm looking forward to it."

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