Rove Mocks Palin In CPAC Smackdown [Video]

This weekend’s CPAC convention saw Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska, take Karl Rove to task after the GOP’s stunning loss in November — but the Bush administration’s MVP didn’t take the jibes lying down.

Rove mocked Palin back after her Saturday CPAC verbal assault, where John McCain’s former VP candidate took aim at Rove and his American Crossroads after their hefty fundraising failed to yield political dividends in 2012.

Palin ribbed Rove for not getting returns on the megabucks lavished across the Romney campaign, quipping Saturday that “[if] these experts who keep losing elections and keep getting rehired and getting millions — if they feel that strong about who gets to run in this party, then they should buck-up or stay in the truck.”

Palin added, “buck up or run… the Architect can head on back to the great Lone Star State and put their name on some ballot –- though for their sakes, I hope they give themselves a discount on their consulting services.”

Rove was often referred to as the “architect of the Bush Administration.”

On Sunday, Karl Rove appeared on Fox News to discuss CPAC and the Palin mocking came up, with Rove responding in frustration about the ex-governor’s digs.

Of the criticism, Rove shot back:

“I’m a volunteer and I don’t take a dime with my work from American Crossroads and pay my own travel expenses out of my own pocket and I thought she was encouraging volunteer grassroots activity and I’m a volunteer. Second of all, look, I appreciate encouragement I ought to go home to Texas and run for office and, it would be news if I did to have her support.”

It seemed like Rove would take the high road with Palin for a minute… but he managed to get a subtle dig in, mocking back:

“But I don’t think I’m a good candidate — a kind of balding, fat guy. And second, if I did run for office and win, I would serve out my term and I wouldn’t leave office midterm.”

Watch as Rove mocks Palin, below.