Politics

Karl Rove fires back, accuses detractors of lining their own pockets [VIDEO]

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
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On Tuesday’s broadcast of Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” former Bush deputy chief of staff Karl Rove took on detractors of his new political action committee, the Conservative Victory Project.

Rove, who founded the American Crossroads PAC that created the Conservative Victory Project, insisted that the upstart spinoff is not simply a resource for establishment candidates and incumbents. (RELATED AUDIO — Mark Levin: “Who the hell died and made Karl Rove queen for the day?”)

“[The Conservative Victory Project] is not to protect incumbent Republicans,” Rove said. “It is to get in races where it is important to have a winning candidate. It is to try and find the most conservative candidate who can win — the so-called ‘Buckley Rule.'”

Rove, who is also a Fox News contributor, emphasized to host Sean Hannity that he is committed to conservative principles.

“[L]ook, I want to be clear about this,” Rove said. “Crossroads is second to none in support of tea party candidates. In 2010 and ‘12, we spent over $30 million for Senate candidates who were tea party candidates. We raised almost $20 million for House candidates who were tea party candidates.”

According to Rove, in 2010 his group had spent $2.9 million on Sen. Marco Rubio, $2.7 million on Sen. Rand Paul, $5.1 million for Sharon Angle in Nevada, $8 million in Colorado for Ken Buck and $1.4 million in Pennsylvania for Pat Toomey.

And in 2012, Rove said his group had spent $5.9 million in Indiana for Senate hopeful Richard Mourdock and $3.3 million for Senate hopeful Todd Akin in Missouri — up until his infamous gaffe. (RELATED VIDEO: Senate candidate appears to suggest female body can shut down pregnancies that result from certain kinds of rape)

Rove said some of his critics are out to serve their own interests.

“The groups that have gone on with the emails and fundraising pitches are groups that are not like Crossroads, in that they are fundraising entities where most of the money gets sucked up into overhead and goes into the pocket of the person who owns the website or owns the political action committee. Remember, I’m a volunteer. I don’t take a dime from Crossroads.”

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