Sen. Marco Rubio

Erin Haust posted this story earlier today concerning ABC’s Jonathan Karl’s column about Sen. Marco Rubio not being considered for the VP spot.  He hasn’t been asked to turn over documents used in the vetting process.  Karl stated:

But knowledgeable Republican sources tell me that Rubio is not being vetted by Mitt Romney’s vice presidential search team. He has not been asked to complete any questionnaires or been asked to turn over any financial documents typically required of potential vice presidential candidates.

Although it is possible that Rubio may yet be asked to go through the vetting process, it has been nearly two months since Romney named his long-time aide Beth Myers to run his vice presidential search. The fact that Rubio has not been asked to turn over any documents by now is a strong indication that he is not on Romney’s short list of potential running mates.

Officially the Romney campaign has no comment

As Haust noted earlier today, “so because he hasn’t submitted reports and the campaign refuses to say anything publicly, Rubio is automatically off the short list?  It’s only June… Karl has successfully created a news story out of thin air. Asking leading questions and making insinuating remarks is not “news.” ABC has committed journalistic fraud by asserting there is a story where there is none.” As a result, ABC’s political blog, seems to be lusting for a quote about the matter and sort of backtracked on the story  about Rubio’s non-vetting and focusing solely on whether he is on the short list or not.  A far cry from saying that there is a ”strong indication that he is not on Romney’s short list of potential running mates.”

To add insult to injury, Catalina Camia of USA TODAY posted on June 19th that “Mitt Romney told reporters in Michigan that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is being looked at as his possible running mate, adding that a news story out today about the Tea Party favorite not being vetted was “entirely false.”

“Marco Rubio is being thoroughly vetted as part of our process,” Romney said during a campaign stop in Holland, Mich.

ABC News reported this morning that the freshman senator was not being vetted to be Mitt Romney’s running mate. The report cited “knowledgeable sources.”

The ABC report said Rubio “has not been asked to complete any questionnaires or been asked to turn over any financial documents typically required of potential vice presidential candidates.” It went on to say that it was “possible that Rubio may yet be asked to go through the vetting process.”

“There was a story that originated today apparently at ABC based upon reports of supposedly outside unnamed advisers of mine. I can’t imagine who such people are,” Romney said. “But I can tell you this: They know nothing about the vice presidential selection or evaluation process. There are only two people in this country who know who are being vetted and who are not, and that’s Beth Myers and myself.

It looks like ABC was just making stuff up with more than shaky sources.  Nice job dead tree media.  Two gold stars for you!

(H/T Erin Haust)