(CNN) - It was a tough retort from Gov. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia.
Kaine responded Sunday to comments made by Republican strategist Karl Rove earlier this month criticizing Kaine's potential vice presidential credentials.
On CBS' "Face the Nation," Rove jabbed at the governor, saying "again no disrespect to Gov. Kaine. He's been a governor for three years. He's been able but undistinguished. I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done."
The Democratic governor - who is rumored to be on Barack Obama's potential VP list - pointed out that his state was voted best for business three years in a row by Forbes.com and said "maybe Karl Roves and the Republicans don't care about business climate, that would explain why we're in the situation that we're in".
"Governing Magazine was also named Virginia as the top governed state in America," Kaine told reporters, "maybe to Karl Rove that isn't an achievement that would explain a federal government that couldn't respond to a hurricane a Katrina and couldn't figure out how to start and manage a war."
Kaine spoke to reporters in Washington after shooting a televised interview Sunday morning.
By the way, in the 2008 Governing Magazine ranking, Virginia shares its top A- rating with two other states: Washington and Utah.
The bottom line is – Rover is a jerk and he seems to be proud of that.
You go Kaine. Rove is an idiot.
Karl Rove did more damage to our country than did Al Qaeda.
Way to go Gov. Kaine, we've had enough of Rove did you all know that Rove doesnt like women?
carl rove needs to be in prison! sean hannity needs to get off the air and maybe start a little republican cult somewhere off in the wilderness. i can not stand to watch or listen to anything either of them say. i am sure both are miserable people and get jollies by trying to bring good people down.
Rove has no room to criticize anyone. It amazes me that he even has the audacity to open his mouth at this point. Rove is well known and recognized as amongst the dirtiest politicians, holding a job that officially amounts to nothing but political games.
When Rove can list his own accomplishments.. then he can come back and criticize others. At this point... I even have more respect for Bush.
The DEVIL with the ROVE will say anything against anybody. Americans are not as foolish as this administration thinks. The best thing that Rove has done is to attack people who do not share his views. This year is not their year.
Another little snot Democrat in the Obama mold. Where DO they find these people?
Virginia didn't wake up one morning with all that praise – it took YEARS OF HARD WORK – and they did work hard – for a long time before this sniveling little water rat came along.
Business??? Virginia gets more federal defense dollars than any other state in the nation. They wrote that book, and nothing this little fellow says changes anything.
karl rove go away. pls get a cabin in the remote woods and never emerge. build model cars.
Why is anybody still listening to Karl Rove? Shouldn't he be in jail for contempt?
Go get them, Kaine!
That's the way to take on the Rove/Bush machine.
karl rove is a looser any way. Anyone who has helped Bush become a US president should be ashamed. Was he the best our nation could have? No!
so he hasn't done anything himself, but aspects of his state of millions of people are well-respected. that's a harsh response? take that karl rove!
Way to go Kaine! You tell Rove!
After all... what has Rove done for his country?
He should be in jail!
Jackie, don't use the lead-in phrase "By the way", it's not professional journalism.
Karl Rove is a criminal. Treason. Betraying the identity of a CIA Operative Director, who was involved in fighting terrorism in the middle east when we were at war with terroists, in the middle east.
There is no better reason to elect Obama as President than to secure the Department of Justice and remove the criminals running it so that Karl Rove can be prosecuted for his crimes.
WOW! i like this guy! get 'em gov. kaine!you would make a fine vp.
Whether people like it or not, Karl Rove needs to be listened to. Look, he was Bush's brain – every life lost in Iraq and Afganistan has Rove's bloody fingerprints all over it. Every citizen of this country, every day, is impacted, to one degree or another, by Rove's skill at puppeteering. Because of his obvious biases – his words need to be put through a strainer – you will find some pulp.
Good for Governor Kaine. Rovian distortions turned me away from the Republican Party.
Karl Roves is moron and no body lisnt any thing he said he is ate up
looser same Phil garmm
Gov. Kaine's response was right on the money. Rove is just incompetent in giving advise to govern a country. That's why we're in a mess today.
Karl Rove should climb back under his rock and stay there. The man is total slime – he is the epitome of everything that is wrong in American politics. And the McCain campaign welcomes his covert guidance and let's him speak publicly on their behalf?? Anyone else feeling nauseous?
ObamaKaine'08
Wow, good move Tim Kaine, good move.
Bring the fight to them. This election is about putting an end to 8 years of Republican greed and incompetence.
Hey Mr. Governor of a State that's going to go GOP regardless of what you do, take a chill pill and stop being so thin-skinned like your party's standard-bearer. And don't worry, he's not going to pick you for the VP slot either way.
I am an pro-American European, as well as my family and most of my country. I am an Obama supporter due its strong opposition to Iraq war, an wrong and unfair war. SPAIN and most of European countries are no longer in Iraq because we realize the real reason for that war....OIL!!!
What Americans need to understand is that Europeans want to fight terrorism and we are fighting in Afheganistan where the talibans are much stonger today than they were 2 years ago. This is the result of Republican mistakes and we need a wise leader like OBAMA that will unite the world in a fight against terrorism.
MCCAIN= old politics and AMERICA alone in the WORLD
OBAMA= new Politics and AMERICA leading the world in the fight against terrorism
WORLD FOR OBAMA 08