Sunday, November 23, 2008

Tragic Day: Ursula is Out


Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik announces that she won't be part of the new Austrian government in Vienna, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008, after Austria's center-left Social Democrats and conservative People's Party forged a coalition Sunday, dispelling fears the far-right could become part of a governing alliance. (AP Photo/Hopi-media, Bernhard J. Holzner)


NOOOOOOOOOO! Oh, Ursula, how could you do this to me? I'm afraid it's true, Pony Pals: Ursula is out. Retired. Gone. This is the worst news ever for this blog, a crushing blow.

I don't pretend to understand Austrian politics, but I think it's noteworthy that Ursula chose to wear a pin of a sad looking leopard cheetah on the occasion of her retirement. That is totally the saddest thing I've ever seen.

BUT! Something tells me this isn't the last we've seen of the affable giantess.

23 comments:

Lulu Maude said...

Very, very sad. Can a star like Ursula actually disappear? I hope not.

Get hold of Obama... send the affable giantess our way.

Hands across the water!

itsnotmeitsme said...

No more Cindy, no more Ursula - it's enough to make me stop paying attention to politics forever. I guess Jill Biden can take over for Cindy but no one can replace Ursula!

Fran said...

NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait- can she be in Obama's cabinet? No, damnit - that won't work either.

That's it. I am pouring another glass of wine and nursing my broken heart from this diplo-depression.

Jess Wundrun said...

Hey! Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brezinski weren't born Americans.

We just need to start a little letter writing campaign. Babelfish will translate begging letters, won't it?

Anonymous said...

Cheetah, I think that's a sad cheetah.

I, too, will miss Ursula.

jterry said...

Say it ain't so! Ursula was perfectly poised to transform herself from the anti-Condi to the anti-Hillary. Who shall redeem us from four years of pants-suit torture now?!?!

Anonymous said...

She will be dearly missed...But I wouldn't worry too much, Austria has a knack for picking sassy divas as their foreign ministers. Ursula's predecessor, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, almost matched Ursula in sassy diva-ness, with a brilliant ability to match her earrings to her outfit (see her page at the European Commission). I'm sure Ursula will be succeeded by someone worthy of filling her probably huge but tasteful shoes.

Matthew Hubbard said...

Ursula is wearing black. I will be wearing black as well today. Very sad news.

z7q2 said...

OMG SO SAD! The cheetah is bummed!

Kelster93 said...

The Lovely Ursula never truly leave us! Undoubtedly, she'll move on to greater things (EU? OSCE? IOC? Eurovision Song Contest Judge? Sundance Film Festival?) and continue to bring her fabby accessories and affable giantess-ness to the world.

Anonymous said...

OMG. So many times you were all, "Everybody's all, 'How are you gonna be able to do this blog with Condi gone?'"' and you're all, "Pfft, I ain't worried at all." But none of us saw THIS coming.

As another commenter noted, affable giantess Ursula would indeed have been a perfect foil to cantankerous cuckold Hillary Clinton [shudder], who seems poised to get Condi's job.

I have to remark how confusing the AP's caption is. I don't know anything about Austrian politics, and after reading that, I know even less. What dispelled fears that the far-right could be come a part of a governing alliance--the coalition forged Sunday? or Ursula's announcement?

Peteykins said...

Hillary Lost, I agree. I was also very confused by the caption.

Anonymous said...

I suppose the AP is referring to the forming of the new government. The far right parties made big gains last elections, and some people speculated, that they might enter the government.

As an Austrian I have to say, I feel a bit orphaned now without Ursula watching out for us. *sob*

Anonymous said...

I think Kelster93 is on track. This is only a step in the Greater UrsulaPlan. She establishes her continental credibility by eschewing the alliance with the Austrian right wing, then runs for the European Parliament, and by acclamation is elected Czarina of whatever major task needs doing. Then, after the complete economic and cultural collapse of the US, when Europe takes over our mortgage, she becomes Occupation Czarina of the US, with her greatest US admirer, our own Princess, becoming her communications director! Yay! (OK, I realize this kind of disses Obama -- sorry, folks...)

zoe said...

Oh noes! This is very very bad news.

samael7 said...

I . . . I'm crushed. I mean, I knew someday, but . . . oh, my poor broken heart!

I wonder if there's some way we can bring her here. Dare I dream, though my dreams be crushed??

Anonymous said...

What kind of God would allow this to happen?

Anonymous said...

I am happy to volunteer to sponsor Ursula for immigration purposes, as long as we can swap scarves (and I gain permanent possession of said cheetah pin).

Anonymous said...

Are you sure that is not an unhappy cougar?

Tuesday Taylor said...

Princess,
Are you kidding me? The pin on her jacket is signaling that her inner cougar has been unleashed! By next weekend she will be dressed in a Real Housewives of Orange County cougie halter top, a pair of True Religions and some strappy sandals from Forever 21!

Diane Griffin said...

I agree, Princess, we've not heard the last from Ursula. Because of that, I refuse to give in to the tempation to see this as a dark & sad moment. Bigger & better things are coming for Ms. Ursula, I'm sure.

Anonymous said...

I mourn with the rest of you at the potential loss of scarf commentary that will go with Ursula's retirement.

However, I have to say that the admiration for Ursula on this (one of my very favorite) blogs always made me a little uncomfortable. Ursula has been affiliated with the Austrian Freedom Party and the Austrian People's party. These are right wing parties with little respect for immigrants or social rights (including gay rights).

In some ways Ursula was a little bit like an intelligent, competent version of Sarah Palin. I'm sorry, for the sake of humor, to see her go, but otherwise, I think it's something to celebrate.

Anonymous said...

Ursula has certainly NEVER been associated with the right-wing Freedom Party, in fact she was totally opposed to her own party (peoples party) entering into a coalition with them. And, uh, sorry, comparing her to Sarah Palin, simply because she's a moderate centrist (which, in European terms, is still more "leftist" than US Democrats)??? Think again! Also, you should note that before being asked by the People's Party to become Foreign Minister, our affable giantess was actually affiliated with the Social Democrats, though no member of the party. As an Austrian, it's sad to see her go, there's no sparkly, refreshing outfits to be expected from her party-soldier successor!