Romney: Marco Rubio Is Being 'Thoroughly Vetted' for the Vice-Presidential Slot

On Tuesday, reports circulated that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) isn't being vetted by Mitt Romney's campaign as a potential vice-presidential nominee. But while sources told ABC News, among other outlets, that Rubio hasn't been asked to fill out a questionnaire, turn over financial documents or engage in any of the other activities that are typically requested of prospective candidates, Romney claims that he is, indeed, being "thoroughly vetted."

Following the Romney-Rubio saga has been difficult. The Atlantic's Connor Simpson has a recap of how the situation has unfolded and how it has been reported in media:

Within the span of a work day, Marco Rubio's name was removed and then re-added to the list of people being vetted as Mitt Romney's VP choice. So, when exactly did Mitt change his mind?

It depends on who you ask. A quick refresher: Tuesday morning, ABC's Jonathan Karl said a top Romney campaign official told him Marco Rubio wasn't being vetted for the VP choice. The Washington Post corroborated the story, saying a Romney advisor confirmed Rubio didn't make it past the first phase. But then Romney spoke to the Associated Press Tuesday afternoon and said Rubio is being "thoroughly vetted" for the job

Karl stood by his morning report in a post on Tuesday night. Karl's original sources still claim that Rubio hasn't been asked turn over any documents or fill in any questionnaires before today, but a campaign advisor told Karl his sources are lying to him.

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And that's just a portion of the alleged chaos and confusion surrounding the vice-presidential nomination process. In his interview with the AP on Tuesday evening, as Simpson mentioned, Romney seemed intent on setting the record straight. He seemed particularly surprised by the individuals who told outlets that Rubio isn't being looked at.

"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," Romney said. "The story was entirely false. Marco Rubio is being thoroughly vetted as part of our process."

This comment came after the Republican presidential candidate declined to answer questions about Rubio earlier in the day. Interestingly, Romney also made it a point to reiterate that only two people -- he and a senior adviser -- have knowledge regarding who's on the short list.

Romney's claim that Rubio is being vetted will likely be welcomed by conservatives who believe that the senator is a good option to bridge divides come November. Rubio, of course, has remained quite quiet regarding vice-presidential rumors, declining to comment about his potential role.

"I'm not commenting on the vice presidential process," he said during a recent interview with Fox News. "That's been basically what we've said the whole time because, out of respect for Gov. Romney, the last thing he needs is to have to be addressing questions about this because really the campaign's not about that."

So, regardless of whether Rubio was initially under consideration, it seems he's now being scrutinized by the Romney camp.