Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues his ascendancy within the Republican Party, reaping political and financial rewards.
His new memoir, “An American Son” is all the rage on the New York Times best-seller list, a feat that could allow Rubio to erase his personal debt,
Politico reports. The senator also has enjoyed a 50 percent jump in donations to his campaign committee and leadership PAC during the past few months.
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On the political front, while it appears that Rubio doesn’t stand at the top of Mitt Romney’s vice presidential candidate list, heavyweight Republicans such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad are trumpeting his credentials.
Rubio’s appearances on behalf of Romney have put him in the national spotlight and given him a chance to present his views on policy issues, such as immigration.
“Obviously, if it [the vice presidential slot] was offered to him, he’d jump at it,” Philip Williams, a political science professor at the University of Florida, told Politico. “On the other hand, I think being in the mix, being talked about in terms of his own future political ambitions is important, . . . because he’s looking beyond 2012.”
Like every other member of Congress, Rubio would love to be president. “If Republicans lose in 2012, then being in the mix, being talked about and promoted, that could certainly help him in 2016,” Williams said.
If Romney doesn’t choose Rubio as his running mate and goes on to lose the election, “this could be one of those times when you’re better off being the one everybody wants rather than being the one who actually gets picked,” a GOP strategist told Politico.
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