IN FLORIDA TEA PARTY FAVORITE TEMPERS HIS TONE
Marco Rubio
The Florida primary Tuesday was once going to be Rubio's chance to dispatch his main Republican opponent  Gov. Charlie Crist. But Crist bolted the party four months ago rather than face Rubio in the primary and is running as an independent in a three-way race.
 Now  facing intense competition for the moderate Republicans and independents who could be the keys to victory in one of the nation's most closely divided states  Rubio is trying to show that he is more than just an insurgent protest candidate -- and he is breaking with some Tea Party orthodoxy in the process.
 Rubio spends less and less time trying to tap into the discontent that has been at the forefront of the midterm elections. A wiser course for Republicans  he said  is offering an alternative  not simply being the angry opposition.
 His course bears little resemblance to those of other insurgent candidates  many of whom hope to ride a combative streak -- and little else -- to Washington. Rubio is increasingly trying to turn his candidacy into one built more on ideas than outrage  which is why he delivered three detailed speeches in the past week alone on education  veterans' affairs and retiree issues.
 In an expansive interview  as he rode in a white minivan from Pensacola to Fort Walton Beach  Rubio did not agree with flashpoints Republican candidates elsewhere have seized on.
 Does he support changing the 14th Amendment  as some Republicans have suggested  which grants the right to citizenship to anyone born in the United States?
 "You're taking energy and focus away from that fundamental debate and spending time on something that quite frankly is not the highest and best use of our political attention " Rubio said. "I don't think that's where the problem is."
 "Yeah  there's a lot " Rubio said. "Obviously his personal story of someone who didn't come from wealth is a testament not just to his tenacity  but to America. I just strongly disagree with him on public policy."
The Florida primary Tuesday was once going to be [TGT]'s chance to dispatch [TGT] main Republican opponent  Gov. Charlie Crist. But Crist bolted the party four months ago rather than face [TGT] in the primary and is running as an independent in a three-way race.
 Now  facing intense competition for the moderate Republicans and independents who could be the keys to victory in one of the nation's most closely divided states  [TGT] is trying to show that [TGT] is more than just an insurgent protest candidate -- and [TGT] is breaking with some Tea Party orthodoxy in the process.
 [TGT] spends less and less time trying to tap into the discontent that has been at the forefront of the midterm elections. A wiser course for Republicans  [TGT] said  is offering an alternative  not simply being the angry opposition.
 [TGT] course bears little resemblance to those of other insurgent candidates  many of whom hope to ride a combative streak -- and little else -- to Washington. [TGT] is increasingly trying to turn [TGT] candidacy into one built more on ideas than outrage  which is why [TGT] delivered three detailed speeches in the past week alone on education  veterans' affairs and retiree issues.
 In an expansive interview  as [TGT] rode in a white minivan from Pensacola to Fort Walton Beach  [TGT] did not agree with flashpoints Republican candidates elsewhere have seized on.
 Does [TGT] support changing the 14th Amendment  as some Republicans have suggested  which grants the right to citizenship to anyone born in the United States?
 "You're taking energy and focus away from that fundamental debate and spending time on something that quite frankly is not the highest and best use of our political attention " [TGT] said. "I don't think that's where the problem is."
 "Yeah  there's a lot [TGT] said. "Obviously [TGT] personal story of someone who didn't come from wealth is a testament not just to [TGT] tenacity  but to America. I just strongly disagree with [TGT] on public policy."