April 17, 2012

Obama and the Arpège Gambit

By Jessica Rubin
One of the most iconic and most successful pitches for a perfume by Lanvin came in the form of Arpège: Promise her anything, but give her Arpège.  Well, here is the Obama version: Promise them anything, but give them more. From green jobs to transparency to fiscal solvency to giving K-street the boot, Obama has promised it all.  But what you get is more.  More taxes, more cronyism, and more debt. Taxes Expediency dictates that Obama not raise taxes openly unless he can demonize the target of the tax rise.  Big, bad oil companies (you'd rather fill'er up at PetroChina or Lukoil?).  Big, bad money center banks (rather have Hong Kong or Singapore take the U.S.'s place as a world financial center?).  Demonized targets aside, the real tax activity passes under the banner of energy independence and green energy initiatives.  Tax money lost on failed energy policy is tax money that must be made up for entrenched entitlements such as Medicare, SS, and...(Read Full Article)