Breaking a several week logjam in naming new Foggy Bottom appointments that require Senate confirmation, the White House announced three senior State Department picks this afternoon: Esther Brimmer, as assistant secretary of state for international organizations, Philip Gordon, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, and Melanne Verveer, ambassador-at-large for global women's issues.... "Very interesting that they rolled out a couple of A/S picks before any of the Undersecretaries had been named," a Hill foreign policy hand comments. "Does that mean [others] are encountering serious vetting issues? Otherwise, why would they not be named now?" The process seems troubled, he added.