Romney Tattoo Guy Wants Ink Removed, Says Candidate Is A ‘Sore Loser’
From the archive: published Nov 29, 2012, 13 years ago. Details may have changed since.
The man with the Romney face tattoo said recently he had “no regrets” about the lifelong reminder of a campaign that crashed and burned, but now 30-year-old Eric Hartsburg has changed his mind not even a month after Mitt lost to Barack Obama on Election Day.
The Romney face tattoo story went viral late in the campaign, and, then, after the results came in, everyone wanted to know how Hartsburg felt about bearing a large and very visible reminder of the GOP loser’s 2012 defeat.
At the time, Hartsburg put on a brave, inked face and said that he was still cool with his decision to put the Romney “R” right on his face for everyone to see until the day he dies:
“I’m a tattoo guy, and it was something fun … I was trying to make politics fun. I didn’t change no lives; I’m no hero. But I shed blood for this campaign, and I’m glad to know that I did all that I could.”
But now he’s changed his tune, and not only does he want the Romney face tattoo removed; he also thinks Mitt is a “sore loser” and was not impressed by the candidate’s sour grapes-flavored remarks after his big loss.
Hartsburg said in his about face:
“It stands not only for a losing campaign but for a sore loser … He’s pretty shameful as far as I’m concerned, man. There’s no dignity in blaming somebody else for buying votes and paying off people. I can’t get behind that or stay behind that.”
Politico reports that, while Hartsburg originally rejected and offer from laser chain Dr. Tattoff to get the Romney face tattoo removed for free, he has relented and will start the year-long process immediately to erase the ink.