Blog Heap of Links for the day 5 May 2012

In the end, Antony Blinken, Biden’s national security adviser, successfully prevailed over other officials in arguing that Wang’s asylum appeal should be rejected. Blinken, according to the officials, feared China would cancel the upcoming visit by Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, whose visit was to be hosted by Biden, unless Wang was sent away from the consulate as soon as possible.

Obama and Cook would date for a year. He was 22 and she was 25 when they met. Cook said when she told Obama she loved him, he responded: “Thank you.” ... admitted to being both enthralled and vexed by the Sphinx-like Obama. But the infatuation and hot romance was tempered by Obama’s cool, inner distance... [Sounds increasingly familiar....]