Perry ad appears to use official W.H. photo

[Kadie]

October 10, 2011
Categories: Campaign Trail, White House
Perry ad appears to use official W.H. photo



Pete Souza/The White House

The keen eyes at Vanity Fair have noticed that in Rick Perry’s new web-only advertisement attacking Mitt Romney’s health care reform policy in Massachusetts, the Perry campaign has apparently used and manipulated a photo from the White House Flickr account.

At about the 12-second mark in the video, a photo that appears to be from official White House photographer Pete Souza shows Barack Obama looking into the mirror shortly before he took the oath of office in 2009. In a split-second, the text “nice try” appears on the mirror and Obama’s face morphs into Romney’s. Another photo of less-clear origin juxtaposes images of Obama signing the Affordable Care Act with Romney signing Massachusetts’s health care law in 2006.

The White House said it is aware of the incident, but had no comment beyond pointing to a disclaimer that appears on each photo from the White House’s Flickr page, which reads: “This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.”

Ray Sullivan, communications director for Perry's campaign, said the photo was received from a source other than the White House and was available in the public domain.

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http://www.politico.com/blogs/onmedia/1011/Perry_ad_appears_to_use_official_WH_photo.html