Marco Rubio delivers foreign policy address with bipartisan tone at Brookings Institution

Two days after making his inaugural campaign-trail appearance with presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Wednesday took his latest step onto the national stage – and further stoked speculation about his vice-presidential aspirations – with a lengthy foreign-policy address at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

(J. Scott Applewhite - AP)

Rather than solidify his potential role as an attack dog, the speech appeared designed to bolster Rubio’s bipartisan credentials. Both the venue – Brookings, a leading think tank, is considered to have a Democratic tilt – as well as the tone of address suggested a far less partisan approach than the freshman Florida Republican has exhibited on the trail, where he has lambasted Obama as a president who “doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

“The easiest thing for me to do here today is give a speech on my disagreement with this administration on foreign policy,” Rubio told the Brookings crowd in opening his address. “I have many. But I wanted to begin by addressing another trend in our body politic. One that increasingly says it is time to focus less on the world and more on ourselves.”

He went on to deliver a speech defending U.S. involvement in crises abroad and focused on “how good a strong and engaged America has been for the world,” at one point even offering praise for former President Bill Clinton’s handling of the conflict in Kosovo.

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Mitt Romney punts on Marco Rubio’s DREAM Act; talks French vacation

ASTON, Pa. – If Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has an opinion on Sen. Marco Rubio’s scaled-back version of the DREAM Act, he’s not willing to share it just yet.

The act would grant citizenship to undocumented immigrants who were under the age of 16 when they were brought to the United States; hold a high school diploma; and have completed two years of college or military service.

“(Rubio) and I have spoken about his thinking on his version of a different act than the DREAM Act that’s been proposed in the Senate,” Romney told reporters here at a press availability ahead of his first joint event with Rubio, the GOP rising star and freshman senator from Florida. “The one that’s been proposed in the Senate creates a new category of citizenship for certain individuals. The senator’s proposal does not create that new category but instead provides visas for those that have come into the country that came in as young people with their families.”

“I’m taking a look at his proposal; it has many features to commend it but its something that we’re studying,” Romney added.

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As illegal immigration debate heats up, Marco Rubio hits the trail with Mitt Romney

PITTSBURGH — Mitt Romney may no longer face any serious opposition on his way to the GOP presidential nod.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) campaigns with Mitt Romney in Pennnsylvania Monday afternoon. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)But as he campaigns across the Keystone State ahead of its Tuesday primary, a different contest is coming into focus — the race to serve as the former Massachusetts governor’s running mate.

This afternoon, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) becomes the first potential VP pick to campaign alongside Romney since former senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) bowed out of the race earlier this month. Romney and Rubio will appear at a town hall in Aston, Pa., just outside Philadelphia at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

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Marco Rubio feeds Romney VP talk with slip at National Journal breakfast (Video)

Marco Rubio's Vice Presidential Aspirations Slip from National Journal on FORA.tv

From National Journal:

“If in four to five years, if I do a good job as vice president—I’m sorry, as senator—I’ll have the chance to do all sorts of things.”

Washington journalists’ ears perked up Thursday morning when Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) made that misstatement during his remarks at a breakfast sponsored by National Journal and the University of Phoenix.

Rubio said Wednesday night, and reiterated Thursday morning, that he did not want to become vice president “now or maybe ever.”

Here more other highlights from Rubio’s remarks, courtesy of the twitterati who attended the breakfast.

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Spotted: ‘Senator Marco Rubio Stands With Mitt’ web ad

Less than 12 hours after Sen. Marco Ruibo (R-Fa.), a rising GOP star ,announced his endorsement of Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor’s camp is up with a Web ad touting the move.

Via The Hotline’s Tim Alberta: