Rubio makes hay in Iowa

ALTOONA, Iowa — Sen. Marco Rubio says the way to turn around the nation’s struggling economy is not to raise taxes on the wealthiest individuals but rather to make “poor people richer” as he visited this politically important state in a trip certain to stoke speculation about 2016.

Ostensibly, the Florida Republican’s visit to this early nominating state was for Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s birthday party. But the political implications of Mr. Rubio’s visit were clear from the start as the Republican Party looks ahead to 2016’s presidential contest.

“For Gov. Branstad’s birthday, his 66th,” Mr. Rubio said, flashing a grin when asked what he was doing in the state.

But his birthday wishes for Mr. Branstad were more like a road map for his party looking for a new direction and an argument for a Rubio presidential campaign.

Lower taxes to spur economic growth. A compassionate immigration overhaul to help those who want to become Americans. Reduced regulation to let small businesses grow. Stronger families to give children more stability at home.

In a 24-minute, campaign-style pitch to fellow Republicans, Mr. Rubio ticked through conservative goals while urging his party not to lose hope in the wake of Mitt Romney’s loss on Election Day. He said the results should not be taken as a rejection of Republicans’ views.

“We need to do a better job of going out and convincing our fellow Americans who perhaps don’t see things the way we do,” Mr. Rubio said.

At the center of that sales pitch: higher take-home pay for all Americans.

“The way to turn our economy around is not by making rich people poorer, it’s by making poor people richer,” Mr. Rubio said, criticizing President Obama’s insistence that taxes for those making more than $250,000 a year increase as part of a deal to avoid pending automatic budget cuts and tax hikes.

Mr. Rubio, once considered a possible Romney running mate, is seen as a rising star among Republicans. Charismatic and youthful, the 41-year-old stands in sharp contrast to the 65-year-old Romney, who struggled to connect with voters.

Mr. Branstad described the senator as the “kind of inspirational leader that’s going to help point us in the right direction.”

In the less than two weeks since Mr. Romney’s loss, Republican officials have been plotting a comeback for the party and many have urged a shift in the way leaders sell the GOP’s message to voters — especially Hispanics and younger voters.

Among the 1 in 10 voters who were Hispanic, Mr. Obama carried 71 percent of them, according to exit polls. And among the 19 percent of voters younger than 30, Mr. Obama carried 60 percent.

Mr. Rubio, a Cuban-American who has criticized his party at times on immigration policy, could help Republicans make inroads with the growing demographic group of Hispanics.

“People understand that we need to do something to address those issues and they want to do that in a reasonable and responsible way,” Mr. Rubio told reporters.

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