Governors, peering over 'fiscal cliff,' place blame differently

(CNN) – Two high-profile governors had vastly different assessments Sunday of who was to blame for the massive cuts to defense spending that are slated to go into effect at the beginning of next year.

The so-called "fiscal cliff," which would force the Pentagon to cut $500 billion from its budgets over the next decade, came about after congressional negotiators failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan last fall. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, blamed the potential cuts on the White House, while Gov. Deval Patrick, Democrat of Massachusetts, said Republicans in Congress were to blame.