Republican Chairman Uses Photo Of Dem Governor For Twitter Campaign

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted a photo of Democratic Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley Friday evening in an attempt to promote a campaign attacking the Obama administration.

The picture showed O'Malley, who has been touted as a possible presidential candidate in 2016, standing next to an elderly man in military uniform.

"We stand with our veterans," a message typed on the photo said.

The tweet also included a message from Priebus and links to an online petition.

"Veterans took an oath to defend our freedom," Priebus wrote. "Sign & Show them your steadfast support."

The petition urged people to contact the White House and express concern about the ongoing scandal involving the Department of Veterans Affairs and its alleged mistreatment of former soldiers. Priebus and other Republicans have been increasingly focusing on the VA scandal and attempting to tie it to President Barack Obama.

An RNC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider about why Priebus chose to use a photo of O'Malley and whether he did not recognize Gov. O'Malley, who is a staunch supporter of Obama. A spokesperson for O'Malley also did not respond to a request for comment.

As of this writing, the tweet is still up on Priebus' page and has been there for over thirty minutes. Priebus has not posted any follow-up messages.

View a screengrab of the tweet below.