Sen. Rubio says Obama right not to rule out arming Libyan rebels

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said the Obama administration shouldn't rule out putting troops on the ground in Libya or arming the rebel forces there.

The freshman Republican wrote to Senate leaders earlier this week seeking support for a resolution that would authorize President Obama to take action to remove Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi from power.

"I don't think you go into a military engagement announcing what you will not do," he said on "Fox News Sunday" when asked about using American troops. "I think that the United States has plenty of capabilities, both covert and overt, to help along this process of getting rid of Moammar Gadhafi."

Rubio said he feared a "long stalemate" in that country's ongoing conflict, or a civil war that could invite terrorist groups to come in. Gadhafi remaining in power was the worst-case scenario, he added. "As long as Gadhafi's in power, you can't protect civilians or prevent genocide."

Using U.S. ground troops in the conflict isn't "the ideal scenario," Rubio admitted. "The fact of the matter is that the people working with us there don't want that."

Asked about arming the Libyan rebels, Rubio said that should be considered. "I think the president was right not to take that off the table," he said. "I think we need to learn more about who they are and how they're working."

Rubio again said he wouldn't vote for raising the debt ceiling unless certain conditions are met, a position he expressed in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. But asked if he would still vote no if that position put the country in default, Rubio hedged.

"I don't ever want to vote to put this country in default," he said. "I'm not voting for simply raising the debt limit unless, as I outlined in my op-ed, it's the last time we do it and it's coupled with meaningful reforms that put us on a path towards fiscal sanity. Otherwise, all you are doing is guaranteeing default."

Rubio again ruled himself of running on the national ticket next year.

"I'm not going to be the president or vice president of the United States in 2012," he said. "Or 2013. I'm not going to be the candidate for president or vice president."