Busted: Team Cruz says it's 'common practice' to use fake photos; Calls Rubio 'piddly' and 'petulant'

Marco Rubio’s campaign is accusing the Ted Cruz-funded site TheRealRubioRecord.com of photoshopping an image of Rubio shaking hands with President Obama.

Cruz-Funded Anti-Rubio Site Includes Fake Photo: Rubio Campaign https://t.co/2NqjB8Pii6

— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) February 18, 2016

Here’s the picture in question:

Note that “Rubio” is using his left hand to shake and the pocket on his suit jacket is on the wrong side.

Busted, right?

Cruz’s communication director Rick Tyler is “confident” it’s a real photo, but he hadn’t seen it yet:

.@rickwtyler, re: Rubio photo, tells @SunlenSerfaty:"I am confident that our campaign would not use a photo that is not authentic."

— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) February 18, 2016

note on this: @rickwtyler said he hadn't seen the photo in question. Also said Rubio camp's tactics were "pathetic." https://t.co/arg0NwlYd6

— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) February 18, 2016

OK then.

Here’s @JimmyPrinceton’s analysis, including what looks like the original stock image:

So @rickwtyler claims this is not a photoshop. Look at Rubio's head! pic.twitter.com/0ZC7YuCId8

— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) February 18, 2016

I did a quick google search. Is this the stock photo they used? @rickwtyler pic.twitter.com/srY2U0zqtR

— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) February 18, 2016

Side by side: pic.twitter.com/mBNj1I5gI2

— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) February 18, 2016

All I did was google "businessmen shaking hands" ??

— Jimmy (@JimmyPrinceton) February 18, 2016

That look likes the one.

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Even Cruz supporter Amanda Carpenter said it was bogus:

https://twitter.com/amandacarpenter/status/700356072528289793

FWIW, team Cruz won’t admit it’s a fake, but says it’s “common practice” to use photoshopped images:

Cruz campaign not denying the pic in Q was photoshopped, but says it's common practice when people put sites 2gether, per @HallieJackson

— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) February 18, 2016

And that Rubio is “piddly” and “petulant” for complaining:

Cruz spox @rickwtyler tells @HallieJackson Rubio camp's complaint over website "piddly, petulant complaints that make them look weak."

— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) February 18, 2016

Editor’s note: This post has been edited to correct a typo in Rubio’s name.

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Update:

The Rubio/Obama photoshopped handshake photo by the Cruz campaign appears to be no longer — replaced with this–> pic.twitter.com/UbvWG5RzoF

— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) February 19, 2016

Oof.

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