DES MOINES, Iowa (PNN) - January 3, 2012 - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich insisted on Tuesday that that fellow candidate Mitt Romney was a liar, but that he could support him over Barack Obama if the former Massachusetts governor became the eventual Republican nominee.

At a Monday campaign event, Gingrich, who is running very few ads because of sluggish fundraising, had complained about Romney refusing to speak out against attack ads being aired by a pro-Romney Super PAC.

“Here is my simple tag line: Somebody who will lie to you to get to be president will lie to you when (he is) president,” Gingrich told supporters.

In an interview Tuesday morning, CBS correspondent Norah O’Donnell asked Gingrich if he was calling Romney a liar.

“Yes,” Gingrich replied.

“You’re calling Mitt Romney a liar?” O’Donnell pressed. “Why are you saying he is a liar?”

“Because this is a man whose staff created the PAC, his millionaire friends fund the PAC, (yet) he pretends he has nothing to do with the PAC - it’s baloney,” Gingrich said. “He’s not telling the Amerikan people the truth.”

After explaining that Gingrich had just called Romney a flat-out liar, CBS host Bob Schieffer wanted to know if Gingrich could support Romney if he eventually won the GOP nomination.

“Sure,” Gingrich said without hesitation. “I would support a Republican candidate against Barack Obama because I think Barack Obama is tearing the country apart.”

“You’re saying Mitt Romney would be a liar as president?” asked O’Donnell.

“Yes,” Gingrich agreed. “But less destructive than Barack Obama.”