Rove: N.H. an important battleground

MINNEAPOLIS--Karl Rove spent the morning discussing the importance of New Hampshire in the general election.

"You resurrected the campaign of John McCain and set him onto the path of nomination," Rove told the New Hampshire delegation. "Your work though has just begun."

New Hampshire could be critical for McCain to win 270 electoral votes and win the White House, Rove said.

"If they take away Colorado and Virginia we're going to need New Hampshire. If they can take Colorado, Virginia and another state we're going to need New Hampshire and Michigan," Rove said. "You're in the ball game and has you know you have to play hard."

Rove also recounted the night of the 2000 New Hampshire primary and when Bush went on a snow mobile ride during the lead-up to the primary.

"Rath and I really had a fun time that night," he said referencing Tom Rath, a former New Hampshire Attorney General. "Let's go on that snow mobile thing, was that your idea Rath?"