Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is not being vetted as a possible vice presidential candidate to run alongside Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney in the general election, according to ABC News.
The news comes as speculation swirls over who might emerge Romney's running mate in his campaign against President Barack Obama. In April, Rubio signaled that he would decline an opportunity to be vice president even if Romney needed him to compete for the position.
Asked about the matter, as well as whether he's qualified to serve as vice president, Rubio told CNBC on Tuesday, "I have no doubt that I am qualified to serve in the United States Senate, which is the job that I have." He added, "Obviously I get more experience every day. There are issues that I are new to me that I have not dealt with when I was a state officeholder. On the other hand, some of these things we deal with are not necessarily rocket science in terms of what our economy and country needs to move forward. What it basically needs is a basic sense of governance that's stable and competent. It needs a tax code that's predictable and permanent. It needs regulations that are affordable. I mean these are not complicated concepts."
Rubio is out with his new autobiography amid all the buzz on the campaign trial. HuffPost's Elise Foley reports on the contents of An American Son:
The book details Rubio's childhood, family and political career. It's largely, and unsurprisingly, positive, defending his record against claims of ethics concerns and discussing how he changed from an unmotivated student in high school and early in his college years to a successful law school graduate and politician. The major themes are his family's struggles and strong work ethic, his conservative values and his quick ascent to the upper chamber of Congress.
But the book also reveals some quirks, such as a past fondness for nightclub "foam parties," singing and Ted Kennedy, the late Democratic icon.
