Veepstakes: Rubio defends Rick Scott's voter-roll effort

CHRISTIE: "Assembly Democrats are balking at Gov. Chris Christie’s plan to borrow an additional $260 million for transportation projects in the upcoming fiscal year, putting up a roadblock as his administration scrambles to plug revenue gaps, strike a tax-cut deal and get a state budget passed," The Star-Ledger reports.

RUBIO: "Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Tuesday defended controversial efforts by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to purge the Sunshine State's voter rolls, denying it has targeted Hispanics. "I wouldn't characterize it as an effort to purge Latinos from the voting rolls," Rubio told reporters at a breakfast hosted by Bloomberg News. "I think there's the goal of ensuring that everyone who votes in Florida is qualified to vote. If you're not a citizen of the United States, you shouldn't be voting. That's the law," USA Today writes.

THUNE: "Sen. John Thune doesn't buy the recent buzz that he may be Mitt Romney's "dark horse" vice presidential pick. "'Dark horse' usually means you are way back in the pack somewhere. I'm not sure that's a good thing," he said during an interview Wednesday in his Capitol Hill office. "Very few dark horses actually win the race," USA Today reports. "The South Dakota senator is little-known nationwide but is a well-respected power player in Washington and a hero of conservatives, having won his Senate seat eight years ago by knocking off the most powerful Democrat in the chamber."