History Is Made Again

It's a day early, New Jersey, California and a few other states vote tomorrow, and it's not exactly a surprise, but the stat wonks have declared today that Hillary Clinton has already amassed enough votes to secure the Democratic nomination for president.

This is truly a big-ass deal -- she will be the first female presidential nominee in the history of the United States.  In itself, this is history-making.  It's huge, and it's about time.

The same thing happened eight years ago, when Barack Obama became the first black presidential nominee in U.S. history.  He was, of course, elected and reelected.  Historic!

I expect the same from Hilz.

We're getting good at this history-making stuff.  Let's not stop now!

The Greatest, 1942 - 2016

Paulie Smallnuts Finally Drinks The Kool-Aid

"And as of today, there's bacon in the sky
and the devil is ice-skating."

I suppose it was inevitable.  After a month of completely understandable indecision, Squeaker of the House Paulie Smallnuts (Rep. Paul Ryan - R, Wis.) has finally "endorsed" Donald Trump.  It happened in a brief, unenthusiastic pro forma op-ed piece in his tiny hometown newspaper.  I'm sure it resulted from endless arm-twisting, threats, and promises of cash to be given or withheld.

Mr. Smallnuts does not like Mr. Trump and does not believe him any more than I do.  But Mr. Smallnuts always does what he's told.  He doesn't want to run as Romney's VP, "But OK, if you really want me to, I will."  He doesn't really want to balance the budget by slashing benefits to seniors and the middle class while giving tax cuts to the wealthy, but Grover Norquist and the Kochs have informed him that there's just no other way.  He has absolutely no interest in becoming Speaker of the House, "But, oh fuck it, if you say so, OK."

And now he's been told to endorse the hideous, tiny-fingered vulgarian idiot and, against his own better judgment, he has.  Because that's what he does -- what the rich and powerful tell him to do.  "Ahh!  That was some really good Kool-Aid!  Thanks!  Yes, it's all clear to me now -- Trump will be just fine."

Right.

If anyone can explain to me what possible good results from all the spineless corporate weasels in the Republican Party, please let me know.  I'm all ears.

Another Trump Rally

Third Party Option?

Trump University Revisited

The "Mexican" judge (born in Indiana) has decided that the lawsuits against Donald Trump and his bullshit real estate "university" may proceed.  And Donnie don't like it.  What a shame.

The Clinton campaign and the national media seem to have just discovered this story, but Buster and Time magazine have been on it since last November.  Here's a re-run.

Donald Trump is total slime, and everyone knows it.  Without the sixteen other idiots to deflect and share attention, Donnie now stands alone in the spotlight, and it's too bright and so unflattering.  You think Hillary is untrustworthy?  Compared to this asshole?  Gimme a break!
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Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Donald Trump's Flim-Flam "University"

If you think Donald Trump would make a great president (yes, even among Buster's readers there may be a couple of you), please read these excerpts or click the link for the full article, then change your mind.  Please.
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(From "Trump U.", by Steven Brill, Time Magazine issue dated 11/16/15)
http://time.com/4101290/what-the-legal-battle-over-trump-university-reveals-about-its-founder/


Politicians often charge their opponents with selling snake oil when they overpromise.  But in litigation that has been meandering through court for five years, Donald Trump is being accused of actually selling snake oil.

Civil cases filed on behalf of thousands of Trump's customers mean that a leading presidential candidate is in court defending a product that short-changed vulnerable consumers.

The snake oil that Trump is accused of selling has to do withTrump University, a series of adult-education classes offering Donald Trump's real estate investing methods and secrets.  At its core, the accusation is that the name was deceptive on both counts:  there were no distinctive Trump methods or secrets actually provided.  And despite its use of terms like professors, adjunct professors and tuition, it was never a university.

Trump and his "university" -- which operated from 2005 through 2010, when it was shut down as the lawsuits were beginning -- lured approximately 7000 consumers into paying $1,495 to $34,995 for courses where, as the promotional material put it, Donald Trump's "handpicked instructors" would  teach them "insider success secrets" of how to invest in real estate.

Trump University collected approximately $40 million from its students, and Trump personally received $5 million of it.

The "curriculum" was actually a sales funnel.  At the top were a series of free 90-minute workshops, meant only to persuade attendees to buy a $1,495 ticket to a three-day workshop, and then up-sell those $1,495 attendees into mentorship programs costing $9,995 to $34,995.

"Faculty" at the free or $1,495 sessions were shake-down artists with no real estate background, who were paid on a commission-only basis for whatever up-sell programs they sold.

And what did the "students" get for their money?  Kevin Scott, 46, of New York sat in on a 90-minute presentation, then enrolled in the $1,495 course where he was persuaded to buy the $25,000 Elite package.  Said Scott, "It all amounts to a whole lot of nothing."  Boyce Chait, 84, of New Jersey spent $34,995 on a mentorship he says proved "to be worth nothing.  When it came to the nitty-gritty, there was nothing there."  Chait demanded a refund, but was refused.

Trump's director of operations declared that the company had issued refunds to 32% of its attendees.  But the majority of those now suing claimed they, too, wanted refunds but were told they could not get them because they did not ask for them within 72 hours.

Bottom line?  No handpicked experts, no best-of-the-best, no insider success secrets.  And no refunds if you were slow about it.  Just deception and flim-flam, ripping off the unsuspecting.

While running for office, both Mitt Romney and Carly Fiorina have been attacked for their business dealings.  But neither was accused of defrauding people or breaking the law.  The rap against them was that they were hard-hearted businesspeople.

The charges against Donald Trump and his scam "University" are something of an entirely different magnitude. 

Mad Magazine's Brainless Issue