Frank Schnittger:

The fact that Baroness Ashton may turn out to be competent, or at least unobjectionable is almost irrelevant to that Narrative and the hostility it has evoked.

I'm glad to see you're getting on with the Narrative, Frank.

The fact that Brown got his way in the end is a victory for UK Euroscepticism even if Brown or Ashton are not Euroscepticism.

So this is the story: Brown got his way.

Zapatero alega que era inaceptable la falta de mujeres al mando · ELPAÍS.com		Zapatero alleges the lack of women at the helm was unacceptable - ElPaís.com
"Objetivo cumplido. A la primera y por unanimidad". El presidente del Gobierno español, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, no ocultaba ayer su satisfacción por la rapidez con que los Veintisiete se pusieron de acuerdo en la elección de Herman Van Rompuy y Catherine Ashton, flamantes presidente permanente del Consejo Europeo y alta representante para la Política Exterior y de Seguridad de la UE.		"Goal achieved. In the first round and unanimously". The Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, didn't hide his satisfaction with the speed with which the 27 agreed on the choice of Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton, brand new permanent president of the European Council and high representative for the EU's Foreign and Security Policy.
Aseguró que se había "implicado" en los nombramientos; sobre todo en el de la segunda, por su condición de socialista y mujer. "Como responsable de un Gobierno con más ministras que ministros, me resultaba difícilmente entendible y aceptable que no hubiera ninguna en los principales cargos de la Unión", alegó.		He claimed he had been "implicated" in the nominations; especially in the latter's due to her being a Socialist and a woman. "As the leader of a government with more female than male ministers, I found it hardly understandable or acceptable that there would be no [women] among the main positions of the Union", he alleged.
Zapatero siempre dijo que, si se presentaba la oportunidad, apoyaría la presencia de una mujer en las instituciones surgidas del Tratado de Lisboa y ésta se la brindó el primer ministro británico, Gordon Brown, cuando retiró la candidatura de su antecesor, Tony Blair, y propuso a la desconocida comisaria británica para dirigir la diplomacia europea.		Zapatero had always said that, if the opportunity presented itself, he would support the presence of a woman among the institutions created by the Lisbon Treaty, and this opportunity was given by yh Britis Prime Minister Gordon Brown when he withdrew the candidasy of his predecessor Tony Blair, and proposed the unknown British Commissioner to lead European diplomacy.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma