Grapevine: Team Obama uses Chinese propaganda against Romney

RNC seeing red over Stephanie Cutter's tweet

And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

Seeing Red

Obama deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter is using China's state media outlet Xinhua to criticize Mitt Romney.

She tweeted -- "Must read -- China's Xinhua slams Romney for making his money off Chinese companies before running for pres. hashtag: hypocrisy."

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus shot back --

"Offensive that the Obama campaign would use the Chinese propaganda paper Xinhua to promote their campaign."

The Weekly Standard notes that even some Democrats are upset about it.

Scott Paul -- the executive director of a labor - business partnership tweets -- "As a Democrat, I am horrified that Democrats would use Xinhua -- official mouthpiece of Beijing regime -- to counter Romney on his China ad"

Saving Face

Russian President Vladimir Putin admits he is not quite the rugged adventurer that he's made out to be.

Those photos you've seen of Putin with various animals were all actually staged.

For years -- critics have mocked the images showing Putin with whales and tigers and everything in between.

-- saying it was Soviet-style propaganda.

Turns out Putin says he did it all -- to draw the public's attention to conservation projects -- near to his heart.

Meta Moment

And finally -- post-modernists rejoice! -- a meta moment in nearby Prince George's County.

In an effort to thwart vandals of speed cameras -- officials are mounting cameras to watch those cameras.

Police say the speed cameras -- which they believe are necessary for public safety -- have been set on fire and shot -- and cost about $30K to $100K a pop to replace.

Who watches the watchers?

But now the question becomes -- what cameras will watch the cameras -- that watch the cameras?

We could do this all day.