Kasich wants super-PAC to pull ‘Lyin’ Ted’ ad

John Kasich on Friday said wants to see an ad referring to presidential rival Ted Cruz as “Lyin’ Ted” taken off the airwaves.

The ad, launched Thursday by a pro-Kasich super-PAC, uses party front-runner Donald Trump’s nickname for Cruz and shows the senator’s nose growing and wrapping around his neck in Pinocchio-like fashion.

“I’ve talked to all the folks in my regular campaign and told them I’m very unhappy with the use of that word,” Kasich told reporters following a campaign stop in Hershey, Pa., according to Politico.

“I don’t run that organization, but I’ve expressed my displeasure, and they’re going to — we can’t communicate with them directly — but I don’t like that word, and I’ve told them that,” the Ohio governor added. “And I said it last night on television, and I would hope that they will not use that word and they’ll take it down.”

The ad takes Cruz’s campaign to task for promoting rumors ahead of the Iowa caucuses that Ben Carson was dropping out of the race. The ad also says Cruz lied about “being the best for the GOP when polls show he can’t even beat Hillary Clinton.”

Kasich strategist John Weaver echoed his boss’s criticism of the ad. 

“Fact Cruz distorts truth, but ads about Cruz should focus on divisive record, no chance to win, not get into playground mud tussle with him,” Weaver tweeted.