Sen. Rubio (R-Fla.), who was on Mitt Romney's vice presidential short list, saw his national profile soar during the 2012 campaign as he worked as a liaison between the Republican Party and Latinos. And as a leading member of the ¿Gang of Eight,¿ a bipartisan Senate group, Rubio has injected himself into the heart of the ongoing debate over immigration reform. But Rubio¿s openness for compromise on the issue has subjected him to criticism from the right over being too lenient toward immigrants currently in the U.S.