Marco Rubio endorsing Mitt Romney (but Jeb's a better choice for VP)

Florida Senator Marco Rubio endorsed Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney -- just a week after his political mentor, Jeb Bush, threw in with the party's frontrunner.

Rubio's endorsement is another sign that Romney is viewed as the party's inevitable nominee and that the GOP establishment is growing more concerned with the protacted primary that has dragged down Romney's poll numbers.

"I don't have a problem with primaries," Rubio told Sean Hannity. "But I think we're at a stage now where at least two of the candidates have openly admitted that the only way they're going to be able to win the nomination is to have a floor fight in Tampa in August. I don't think there's anything good about that. There is no way that anyone can convince me that having a floor fight at the convention in Tampa in August is a recipe for victory in November. On the contrary. I think it's a recipe for disaster. So I just don't think that's a wise route to go."

Asked if he is endorsing Romney, Rubio said "I am going to endorse Mitt Romney.... He offers such a stark contrast to the president's record."

Rubio said he's convinced of two things: "No. 1, Mitt Romney will govern as a conservative. And No. 2 that he will be head and shoulders better than the guy who's in the White House right now."

Rubio wouldn't deny that he might take the job as Romney's running mate if he's called on to do it. But Rubio said he's not seeking the job and that he doesn't want it. Romney owes Rubio a solid for the Senator's decision during the height of the Republican primary to condemn an immigration-baiting ad from Romney's then-chief rival, Newt Gingrich.

Conservatives have been pushing for Rubio for months. He Rubio brings a fresh face, an Hispanic name and electifying speaking style to the campaign trail. Jeb Bush likes him. Like any career politician, Rubio has a past that could haunt him, from his time running the Florida House to his office's misrepresentation of his parents flight from Cuba (they left Cuba under Fulgencio Batista, not Fidel Castro.

Regardless of Rubio's advantages, Bush is a better choice for VP, according to a recent McClatchy-Marist poll that, according to Steven Thomma, "also measured what Bush or Rubio would bring to a Romney ticket. An Obama-Joe Biden ticket ties Romney-Bush at 47-47 percent and leads Romney-Rubio at 49-44 among registered voters.

Rubio wouldn't deny that he might take the job as Romney's running mate if he's called on to do it. But Rubio said he's not seeking the job and that he doesn't want it. Romney owes Rubio a solid for the Senator's decision during the height of the Republican primary to condemn an immigration-baiting ad from Romney's then-chief rival, Newt Gingrich.

Conservatives have been pushing for Rubio for months. He Rubio brings a fresh face, an Hispanic name and electifying speaking style to the campaign trail. Jeb Bush likes him. Like any career politician, Rubio has a past that could haunt him, from his time running the Florida House to his office's misrepresentation of his parents flight from Cuba (they left Cuba under Fulgencio Batista, not Fidel Castro.

Regardless of Rubio's advantages, Bush is a better choice for VP, according to a recent McClatchy-Marist poll that, according to Steven Thomma, "also measured what Bush or Rubio would bring to a Romney ticket. An Obama-Joe Biden ticket ties Romney-Bush at 47-47 percent and leads Romney-Rubio at 49-44 among registered voters.