President Obama says he doesn't care who the Republicans nominate to oppose him, because next year's election battle will be over ideas.

"It doesn't really matter who the nominee is going to be," Obama tells 60 Minutes in an interview to air tonight.

"The core philosophy that they're expressing is the same," Obama says of the Republican candidates, "and the contrast in visions between where I want to take the country and where they say they want to take the country is going to be stark.

"And the American people are going to have a good choice," Obama says. "And it's going to be a good debate."

The president's comments aired this morning on CBS' Face The Nation.

Obama's re-election team has long been attacking Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

In recent days, they have turned their attention to new GOP front-runner Newt Gingrich.

It feels like most of Obama's people would prefer to run against Gingrich, but none are saying so privately -- particularly the president.