Marco Rubio, the fast-rising 'American son'

◼ Florida's junior senator — 41 years old, the fastest-rising Hispanic political star in American politics and a contender to be Mitt Romney's running mate — is a man in a hurry. - USA Today

Rubio bats away speculation about whether Romney will choose him as the GOP vice presidential nominee this summer — "Look, it's flattering; it's also fleeting" — and says he hasn't thought about whether he might run for president down the road, though he doesn't dismiss the idea.

"I'm going to do the best job I can as a senator," he said in an interview in his family's compact, immaculately tidy home. "And if I do a good job at it, I'll probably have other opportunities. I don't know what those are today."

It is a curiosity of American politics that, while Latino voters are overwhelmingly Democratic, the highest-ranking Latino officeholders are just as likely to be Republican.

◼ Romney says Rubio is being vetted for VP - USA Today

Mitt Romney told reporters in Michigan that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is being looked at as his possible running mate, adding that a news story out today about the Tea Party favorite not being vetted was "entirely false."

"Marco Rubio is being thoroughly vetted as part of our process," Romney said during a campaign stop in Holland, Michigan....

Rubio's name is frequently mentioned as a possible VP contender, and former Florida governor Jeb Bush is among those who have been touting the Tea Party favorite as a top pick. Rubio has been highlighted as someone to watch ever since he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010.

◼ An American Son: A Memoir at Amazon