Though Marco Rubio has long been on the short list of vice presidential candidates for the Republican nomination, he received even more publicity this week after several high profile appearances, including one with presumptive nominee Mitt Romney.

Perhaps Rubio’s most attention-grabbing moment this week was when he announced that he didn’t want any more VP attention. On Sunday’s State of the Union on CNN, Rubio said he would no longer answer questions about the possible nomination, saying that “moving forward… it’d be wise for all Republicans to kind of respect that process” and let it “play itself out.”

Rubio proved good on his word on Monday at the appearance with Mitt Romney in Pennsylvania. An attendee asked whether a first-term senator is qualified to be vice president, but the freshman legislator from Florida declined to comment.

In reality, however, this strategy could be the strongest indication yet that Rubio is actively pursuing the second spot on the ticket. He has gradually shifted away from more forceful denials that he wants the position, when simply insisting that he would never accept it would in reality be the most effective statement.

The event in Pennsylvania highlighted Rubio without letting him overshadow Romney, a key step in the vetting process. And on Wednesday, Rubio will be delivering a “major speech on the future of U.S. foreign policy” and global leadership at the Brookings Institution. Sounds pretty Executive Branch to me…

What do you think: will Rubio be the VP pick? Should he be?

[via the Washington Post]

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