So when Bill Clinton tapped one such donor, James Hormel, for the post in 1997, there was little reason to think the decision would prompt a protracted and vicious battle with congressional Republicans and end by making history. The country, which is smaller than Rhode Island and only slightly more populated than Wyoming, is the sort of cushy diplomatic posting typically reserved for generous but not terribly distinguished political donors.
It is hard to conceive of a less crucial post in American diplomacy than the ambassadorship to Luxembourg.
A philanthropist who parlayed a Spam fortune and a Senate standoff into a place in gay history.