Romney Sticks Up for Rubio

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is coming to the defense of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has come under fire after a recent Washington Post article questioning his family's immigration history. Rubio has fought off attacks that he embellished his parents' escape from Cuba before Castro's communist revolution, as well as his own citizenship status.

AP reports that Romney says Rubio  and his family "deserve the highest praise and recognition". Romney calls the recent news reports an attempt to smear Rubio, and Romney describes the stories as "unfortunate" and "bogus.

In an opinion piece for POLITICO Friday, Rubio strongly denounced the allegations, writing "That is an outrageous allegation that is not only incorrect, but an insult to the sacrifices my parents made to provide a better life for their children."

Rubio is a rising GOP star who's often discussed as a potential vice presidential pick. Romney has acknowledged that Rubio is on the short list of people he'd consider as a ticketmate if he becomes the nominee.