Rove appeared on “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning, and host Bob Schieffer asked the strategist about the mini-conflict. Rove quickly tried to clarify his comments, calling the Tea Party “one of the most positive and wholesome developments.” He also said that Limbaugh took his remarks “out of context.”

Continuing, Rove further praised the movement. “These are not people who are skilled in the ways of Washington. They don’t want to be. They’re ordinary Americans from Main Street America who have created a massive, grassroots effort driven by a sentiment in this country — even more important than the groups is the sentiment that is driving it — that the government is on a terribly dangerous course of spending too much money, running up too much deficit, and taking too much control of our lives with things like Obamacare. And I consider it to be wholesome, patriotic and incredibly positive for the country.”