• HEY GAYS, HERE’S A ‘BIG VICTORY’ FOR YOU: HA: “WASHINGTON — An administration official says President Barack Obama plans to nominate an openly gay lawyer as the United States’ ambassador to New Zealand and American Samoa.” Ooh, big important job there! Even George W. Bush’s first openly gay ambassador appointee was for Romania, which is somehow gutsier. They have so many homophobic vampires there, just really dangerous. [AP]

Aside from just being a loony dingbat distraction during today’s hot-ticket Finance Committee markup, what other fucking insane things has Chuck Grassley been up to? “Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is blocking the all-important nomination of Alan Solomont, the president’s nominee for ambassador to Spain.” He is literally standing in the doorway, blocking all traffic, crowing. [Wash. Independent]