Rep. Keith Ellison isn't buying the Republican Party's attempt to soften its image and tone. In his opinion, it's tantamount to putting "lipstick on a pig."

The assertion was made during an appearance on ABC News' This Week after Republican strategist Nicole Williams praised Sen. Marco Rubio, the GOP rising star, who will deliver the party's response to President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night. Republican leaders are pinning their hopes on lawmakers like Rubio to attract minority voters, particularly those in the fast-growing Latino population.

"He's everything we need and more. He's modern. He knows who Tupac is. He is on social media," Wallace said. "I mean, he's got the policy. He's in touch with, I think, the lives of ordinary people. And he's a very accessible guy. He talks about being a working dad and juggling his own priorities."

But according to Ellison, the challenges the Republican Party must overcome to expand its demographics go much deeper than that. Like other progressive critics, he believes that it's the party's principles and polices that are in need of extreme makeovers.

"I think all of this stuff is just surface stuff. It’s like lipstick on a pig," Ellison said. "I mean, the bottom line is, the Republicans have a core values problem, not a 'who knows who Tupac Shakur is' problem."

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(Photo: ABC News)