Blog Heap of Links for the day 10 May 2012

According to a book about to be released, The Rise of the President’s Permanent Campaign by Brendan J. Doherty, Obama has held more fundraisers than all presidents since Nixon combined. What does this have to do with socialism? A lot, really, because what Obama promises – especially in his second term — is a socialism of permanent elites, a kind of new, very American, version of the old Soviet-style nomenklatura. And those who are in it will get to stay in it (via government support) as social mobility, aka the American Dream, diminishes or disappears. This was what socialism ultimately was all about, indeed is all about, the preservation of nomenklaturas, whether of Hollywood, the media, union, and bureaucratic leadership or what remains of selected industry. Keep hoi polloi out. All those fundraisers and bundlers, from Clooney to the considerably more anonymous, know this on one level or another. It’s certainly not subtle and those too clueless to understand were reminded by the recent quasi-blacklisting of potential Romney supporters. A warning shot was fired. No elite status for them.

The White House Visitors Office requires that an unborn child—still residing in utero—must be counted as a full human being when its parents register for a White House tour.... [So many WTFs for this insane administration!]

Kochs: We will not be intimidated or silenced by the President and his allies. It is essential that we exercise our constitutional right to speak out on reckless fiscal policies, irresponsible over-regulation, and the critical role of economic freedom and individual liberty in restoring the growth and vitality of our country. We have posted the following rebuttal to expose the Obama campaign’s dishonesty.... [video]

Authenticity is key for “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner — no matter the cost. In this week’s episode, Jon Hamm’s character Don Draper struggles to understand the ever-changing landscape of 1960s youth culture by giving the new Beatles album a cursory listen. The tune he opts for? The last song on the band’s “Revolver” album, the very poignant “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Gaining the rights to play the original Beatles’ recording was not easy, however, and Lionsgate, the studio that produces the stylish AMC show, ended up paying a hefty $250,000 for the privilege.

Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a new transformational partnership in online education today called EdX, which the two institutions will collaborate on to enhance campus-based teaching and learning and build an online learning global community.