WASHINGTON — Late last year, Americans For Prosperity posted a tweet attacking Colorado Sen. Mark Udall and Gov. John Hickenlooper for being "Obama buds." The Koch-funded group used an image of the two Democrats standing with President Obama looking dismayed to make the point that the three men were sharing "a sinking feeling."
The image AFP Colorado used was taken at a Colorado hospital in July 2012, where Obama and the two men were gathered to visit victims of the Aurora shooting.
The picture and a tweet defending its use remain posted to AFP's Colorado account.
The group reacted very differently Wednesday when it used the same image from the Colorado hospital in a TV ad.
"The image used was an unfortunate oversight which was immediately corrected as soon as it was pointed out," AFP's national spokesperson Levi Russell later said about the TV spot. The statement made no mention of the previous instance AFP used the image.
Democrats, Republicans, the families of Aurora victims and the White House condemned the use of the image in the attack ad Wednesday.
Here's the tweet AFP posted on Dec. 7, 2013:
Obama buds @MarkUdall & @hickforco seem to share that sinking feeling: #copolitics #tcot #tlot http://t.co/J9HajzeGbU
The tweet was immediately criticized:
@AFPColorado Using photos from a tragedy to score political points again. You're sick. @MarkUdall @hickforco #coleg #copolitics
But AFP stood by the image:
@janus303 Same tragedy libs used, and keep using, to sell gun policies? What hypocrisy. Plus, pic was used in linked story. #copolitics