Mitt Romney: Actually, We're Absolutely Vetting Marco Rubio

Townhall.com:

Remember all of this?  Yeah, never mind:

"There was a story that originated today apparently at ABC based upon reports of supposedly outside unnamed advisers of mine," Romney said in Holland, Michigan. "I can't imagine who such people are. But I can tell you this: they know nothing about the vice presidential selection or evaluation process. There are only two people in this country who know who are being vetted and who are not: And that's Beth myers and myself. And I know Beth well. She doesn't talk to anybody. The story was entirely false. Marco Rubio is being thoroughly vetted as part of our process."

But wait, ABC's Jonathan Karl stands by his initial report:

First, I stand by my reporting. As of 9 a.m. this morning, Marco Rubio had not been asked by the Romney campaign to turn over any documents related to the vice presidential search. He had not been asked to fill out any questionnaires. If Romney was “thoroughly vetting” Rubio, he was doing it without Rubio’s knowledge. Now, however, Marco Rubio is the one candidate who the world knows definitively is being vetted. Why? It’s possible that Romney simply had not gotten around to asking Rubio for vetting materials, but his search process has been under way for more than two months.

But there’s also this: immediately after our report aired, conservatives started complaining directly to the Romney campaign that they were making a mistake by not considering Rubio. I am told by several Republican sources that Romney came under intense pressure today from top Republicans who argued it was crazy to take Rubio out of consideration so early. Some argued for Rubio’s appeal as the party’s most effective and charismatic conservative voice. Some argued it is dumb politics to not consider the party’s top Hispanic conservative. It seems Romney, at least now, agrees.

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