Rubio Iowa closing argument attacks Clinton, not GOP rivals

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio sprinted toward the Iowa caucuses Sunday, avoiding direct confrontations with his opponents and instead, projecting a vision that looks more toward the general election.

The Florida senator was in Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, part of a nine-day blitz across the state, campaigning with confidence to audiences numbering in the hundreds, as preference polls showed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and billionaire businessman Donald Trump ahead in Iowa.

Campaigning in eastern Iowa, Rubio touted a scheduled joint appearance with Iowa's popular Republican freshman Sen. Joni Ernst Monday.