GOP senator suggests Sen. Rubio could use 'a little more experience'

Republican Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.) suggested that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) could use "a little more experience" before being picked as Mitt Romney's presidential running mate.

Burr's comments were in response to a question on who Romney should pick for the vice presidential slot. Burr first listed Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), as well as former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Ayotte, like Rubio, is a freshman senator.

"The conventional wisdom will tell you a Rob Portman out of Ohio. A longshot would be a Kelly Ayotte out of New Hampshire, where geographically there's not a huge number of electoral votes that come out of there but somebody incredibly capable, a female, a little different twist," Burr said in a radio interview with Charlotte, N.C., radio station WBT on Tuesday. "And then you could see something as generic as former Governor Pawlenty who brings his expertise and own experience in Minnesota."

Burr was then asked about Rubio, another name often listed as a top pick for Romney. Rubio is a Tea Party favorite who was elected to the Senate in 2010.

"We have qualified candidates, some are younger than others and many of the younger ones you'd like to see get a little more experience under their belt so that they pass that instantaneous test in their minds: could they be president tomorrow?" Burr said.

Earlier in the day Romney's campaign unveiled a new smartphone app for first announcing his vice presidential pick. Rubio, despite wide speculation that he would be asked to be Romney's running mate, has said he would not be picked for the job. Still, Rubio has made a number of campaign stops for the former Massachusetts governor over the past few months. 

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