Obama White House hails gay NBA player

North Korea is holding an American captive.

Syria is using chemical weapons.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding a terrorist attack on domestic soil.

But stop the presses -- an NBA player is gay.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama marked the occasion with jubilation at the White House (via CBS News, emphasis mine):

President Obama called NBA player Jason Collins Monday to offer his support after Collins announced he's gay, becoming the first openly gay major league professional athlete, CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett has learned.

The president offered congratulations and support on Collins' courage and willingness to be the first in the four dominant pro sports to make this announcement.

First lady Michelle Obama also showed her support for Collins on Twitter Monday.

"So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We've got your back!" she tweeted, signing it "-mo," which indicates she - not an aide - sent the message.

NRO's Jim Geraghty opines on the administration's dysfunctional priorities:

This president can't get squat done about North Korea or Syria, and so he doesn't want us to focus on those far-off lands. His policies have done diddlysquat for most of the long-term unemployed. He's not interested in throwing people off public assistance, even when they don't deserve it, and he wants to insist that every terror attack is a one-time occurrence, instead of connected bits of an international ideological movement dedicated to killing Americans. Obamacare's a mess, and he's hoping you don't notice. The national debt continues to increase, even with the alleged horrors of sequestration.

"God, gays, and guns." That's what he's got left. And that's what he hopes stays on your mind, for as many days between now and November 2014 as possible.

Update: The Washington Examiner's Philip Klein makes another excellent point -- Why is Collins' coming-out newsworthy?

I find myself in both camps. I recognize the significance of Collins’ decision and admire the courage required to make it. But I also hope that his announcement will help pave the way for a time when it isn’t a major news story when a professional athlete reveals his sexual orientation, because it doesn’t really matter.

Though the decision of an aging NBA center to come out as gay is a big deal now, ideally, it shouldn’t be.