"Remember the Tea Party movement didn't get started in September of 2008 when the bank bailout was passed. It really began on Feb. 19th, 2009 when a television commentator named Rick Santelli stood up and said what the hell are we doing bailing out people who couldn't afford a mortgage by taking money from people like me who are prudent?"

This quote by Karl Rove is referring to the Tea Party motion, which was a political movement that started in 2009 in reaction to the bank bailout that was passed in 2008. Rove is mentioning that the movement didn't start with the bailout, however rather with a tv commentator called Rick Santelli who spoke out against the bailout. Santelli argued that it was unjust to take money from people who had been sensible with their financial resources in order to bail out people who had actually taken on home loans they could not manage. This sentiment resonated with lots of people and stimulated the Tea Party motion. Rove's quote is a pointer that the Tea Party motion was a reaction to a perceived oppression, and not just a response to the bank bailout.