DNC Erects Massive Obama Sand Sculpture At Site Of Convention (Correction: Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Responsible) Update 5: Torrential Downpour Melts Obama -Photo

Creepy.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama"

Via @graspmyBEAUTY
H/T Sister Toldjah who adds:

15.5 tons of sand were shipped in from Myrtle Beach, SC for this. I don’t know who sponsored it (I don’t think it was paid for with DNC money) but massive sculptures of sitting political figures, especially Presidents, should disturb everyone a great deal (no matter the party), for reasons I don’t have to explain – no matter how well done they are.

Exactly. Are Democrats that oblivious to the symbolism there is in a 16ft sculpture of Obama? Geeze, talk about bad optics…

Update: DNC Charlotte bragging on Twitter:

PHOTO: Massive Obama sand sculpture at the EpiCentre in uptown. #DNC2012twitpic.com/apmd3x

— Charlotte DNC (@CharlotteDNC) August 31, 2012

Twitter reactions:

@co2hog @velvethammer Hopefully it’s quick sand and Obama steps in it.

— Ron Scanlon (@rscan33) September 1, 2012

We’re sinking in a quicksand of debt, deficits, unemployment and regulations. So the “sand” sculpture of Obama does have relevance

— Demetrius Minor (@dminor85) August 31, 2012

His worshipers are few, but they are rabid. #DNC2012 cult of personality hysteria, brought to you by @velvethammer: ironicsurrealism.com/2012/09/01/dnc…

— FeeVert (@FeeVert) September 1, 2012

@velvethammer Ewww!

— Kamilla Ludwig (@TheBraveLass) September 1, 2012

Obama commissioned a sand sculpture of himself? You can’t make this stuff up. The Sand Castle president #p2 #tcot #tlot

— Nathan Hale (@NathanHale1775) September 1, 2012

#OverheardAtDNC2012 There will be donation places (not offering plates) at the huge ( no, not cultish) sand sculpture of Obama.

— OceanMeld (@OceanMeld) September 1, 2012

A sixteen foot sand sculpture of Obama at the DNC convention. Stop it, the man does not have a messiah complex

— Lew (@lewsmuse) September 1, 2012

#OverheardAtDNC2012Did you see the sand sculpture of Obama? Took 400 @seiu laborers a year to make it. Cost $5 billion dollars. It’s nice!

— el SOOPer (@SooperMexican) September 1, 2012

Update 2: Dems screwing over hard working taxpaying citizens in order to pay homage to their false idol.
Via The Morning Spew:

Huh? I am perplexed. It’s being reported that Democrats have removed over 15 tons of sand from Myrtle Beach, SC in order to erect a giant Barack Obama sand sculpture at the Democrat National Convention in Charlotte, NC. Why am I perplexed and not merely amused? Because in 1998, the Army Corp of Engineers spent $60 million of public money to put sand back into the beach!

From the Myrtle Beach Visitor’s Bureau:

Myrtle Beach area beaches are wider than ever, the result of a two-year renourishment project completed in 1998. It pumped almost five million cubic yards of new sand onto the shores. This $60 million enhancement plan was conducted by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers with federal, state and local funding in cooperation with Myrtle Beach area municipalities and a national dredging company.

Link: http://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/Area_Information/Safety_Tips_and_Laws.html

Update 3:

Via Citizen Journalist:

Since the original 1998 replenishment, the beach was replenished in 2009 as well in order to protect people and property from storm damage along the shore. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, it is scheduled to continue to be replenished with Federal, state and local money through 2046.

Update 4:  Since my initial report on this story, I have learned that it is the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commence who is behind it, and not the DNC.

(WBTW) –The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce will promote the destination with a hospitality venue in uptown Charlotte.

Work on a sand sculpture of President Obama is already underway near Charlotte’s EpiCentre to promote the Visit Myrtle Beach campaign.

Though the source(s) of funding for the promotion, (including the Obama sand sculpture) is not so clear:

(Myrtle Beach Online) –MYRTLE BEACH — The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce will set up a hospitality venue for media covering next month’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., in the hopes of drawing attention to business and tourism along the Grand Strand.

Brad Dean, president of the chamber of commerce, did not respond to questions about the event. Instead, Dean forwarded questions from The Sun News to a lawyer who represents the chamber. That lawyer prepared a written statement about the event and e-mailed that statement to the newspaper’s publisher, who then forwarded it to the newsroom.

“The purpose of this event is to attract media attention from national and international media attending the Democratic National Convention,” chamber lawyer David Slough said in the statement. “This effort is similar in concept and scope to other past chamber events that attract attendees from national and international media including, but not limited to, presidential debates and events held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Neither Dean nor Slough would specifically say whether public money will be used for the event.

“This event qualifies for several funding sources and will be reported in accordance with state and local guidelines,” Slough said in the statement.

Slough said in the statement that the chamber is not hosting a similar event for the Republican National Convention, to be held next week in Tampa, Fla. [...]

Hmm…

Update 5:

The Obama sand sculpture in it’s final form:

The Congressional Black Caucus is [also] involved. Members of the CBC  are all Democrats, save for Republican Congressman Allen West.

The chamber and the Black Congressional Caucus will use the lower level of the BlackFinn American Saloon at Charlotte’s EpiCentre entertainment complex for hospitality venues, according to an EpiCentre news release. BlackFinn is described as “a classic saloon environment” and is one of a number of EpiCentre sites hosting convention-related events.

Reporters will be invited to the chamber’s BlackFinn location to schedule interviews and post stories from the space, according to the news release. In addition, a large sand sculpture of President Barack Obama will be constructed outside of the restaurant..

(DNC Journal) The sculpture was built along College Street, just outside the BlackFinn restaurant, where the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Congressional Black Caucus will host private parties throughout the week.

I wonder how much input the CBC had. And I still would like to know the specifics of the funding.

Update 6:

Washed Away - Washed Up -- An omen?

(Washington Times) –CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A torrential downpour that struck Charlotte Saturday afternoon damaged the Mount Rushmore-style sand sculpture bust of President Obama — an ominous beginning to what many fear is a plagued convention.

Pound sand Obama.