Rick Perry says Karl Rove has been ‘over the top for a long time’

Photo: AP

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry has made it official: He is no fan of former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove.

“Karl has been over the top for a long time in some of his remarks,” Perry said during Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate. “I’m not responsible for Karl anymore.”

Perry made those comments at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California in response to an observation about Rove’s claim that Perry’s description of Social Security as a Ponzi scheme could be “toxic” in a general election. (RELATED: All eyes on Perry and Romney at presidential debate)

Perry directly defended and reiterated his characterization of Social Security.

“You cannot keep the status quo in place and call it anything other than a Ponzi scheme,” Perry said.

“It is. That is what it is. Americans know that. And regardless of what anyone says — ‘oh it’s not, and that’s provocative’ — maybe it’s time to have some provocative language in this country.”