The professional wrestler who earned $5,000 during the presidential election to have the Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan “R” logo tattooed on his face is now having it removed.
Eric Hartsburg sold the 5-by-2-inch space on his left temple through eBay, and told Politico he was happy about the tattoo, even after the Republican ticket failed to win the White House.
Now, some of Romney’s post-election comments have upset Hartsburg, so he’ll have the tattoo blasted off by laser.
Though Hartsburg says a lot of friends and neighbors in Michigan City, Ind., had been ribbing him, he was initially proud to sport the ink. But after Romney said President Barack Obama won re-election through “gifts” and handouts, his perspective started to shift.
“It stands not only for a losing campaign but for a sore loser,”
Hartsburg told Politico. “[Romney is] 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.”
The 30-year-old Hartsburg did not tell his wife about the tattoo venture until an hour before he had the red and blue logo inked near his right temple.
“My 15-year-old son, however, he was all about it,” Hartsburg said.
Hartsburg has accepted an offer of free tattoo removal from Dr. TATTOFF, a Los Angeles-based laser center. Hartsburg originally refused the offer, saying, “I still love the ink and I am a man of my word and will keep the tattoo for life.”
But he will fly to LA next week for his first treatment. The removal sessions usually cost around $1,000. Because there is so much blue ink in the tattoo, it is not certain the tattoo will be fully removed.
If that is the case, Hartsburg hasn’t ruled out more face tattoos, though he’s more cautious about political ink now.
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