Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called for a bipartisan deal to avoid the automatic budget cuts and tax hikes that threaten to push the U.S. economy off the so-called fiscal cliff. During an appearance on CNN Thursday morning, the mayor also defended taking a leadership role in the Fix the Debt lobbying group, which has come under fire from some on the political left.

In a five-minute discussion with news anchor Ashleigh Banfield, the L.A. mayor said he was confident that President Obama and the GOP leadership would be able to strike an agreement and avoid sparking a new recession.

"Both sides understand that it's not in the nation's best interest for us to go off this cliff," Villaraigosa said. "People are tired of the partisanship, they want both sides to work together."

Read more at the LA Times