Sarah Palin targets Karl Rove in CPAC speech, who says she can ‘play in primaries’ and NY Times calls them ‘insurgents’
Karl Rove wasted no time in hitting back at Sarah Palin after she criticized him for getting involved in Republican primaries last year.
Karl Rove caricature by donkeyhotey [email protected]
“If she can play in primaries, other people can play in primaries,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
During her speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, Palin chided Washington establishment attempts to shape the last election, especially in congressional races. While she didn’t mention his name, the former Alaska governor seemed to be aiming at Rove.
“If these experts who keep losing elections and keep getting rehired and raking in millions, if they feel that strongly about who gets to run in this party, then they should buck up or stay in the truck. Buck up and run,” Palin said. “The architects can head on back.”
Of course the NY Times article had this title: Palin Bolsters Insurgents at Conservative Retreat
“She can pick winners,” said Ted Cruz, who beat the state’s lieutenant governor in a primary last year. “I would not be in the U.S. Senate today if it were not for Gov. Sarah Palin.”
Rove now runs American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, two independent groups that spent money for conservative candidates in last year’s contests, as well as in the 2010 mid-terms. While candidates that Crossroads supported two years ago saw success, most of them failed to win their contests last year.
Rove sliced the details to defend his political power and role.
“Well, first of all, I live in Texas, and I don’t live in Washington” and then detailed how Palin said Todd Akin should have dropped out after his abortion rape comments…
“First of all, raking in millions – I’m a volunteer. I don’t take a dime from my work with American Crossroads. I even pay my own travel expenses, out of my own pocket. I thought Sarah Palin was about encouraging volunteer, grass-roots activity. I’m a volunteer…
“Second of all, look. I appreciate her encouragement that I ought to go home to Texas and run for office. I would be enthused if I ran for office to have her support. I will say this, though: I don’t think I’m a particularly good candidate. Sort of a balding, fat guy. And second of all, I’d say if I did run for office and win, I would serve out my term. I wouldn’t leave office midterm,” he said, taking a swipe at Palin’s decision to resign from her governorship in 2009.
