"Of course the presidency is a poisoned chalice," he said.
Russell's departure has led to speculation in the blogosphere that the role is something of a poisoned chalice as the same part was originally due to be played by Kevin Costner, who also quit.
The same happened next door in Spain in November as Mariano Rajoy inherited a poison chalice from José Luis Zapatero.
Cash then went into the realms of gothic horror when she described the unassuming Labor finance minister Penny Wong as "sitting reaping the spoils of the victory, drinking from the chalice of blood".
Gove, the new justice secretary, is probably unaware of how poisonous are the contents of the chalice passed into his hands.
Gary Caldwell will have been aware the Wigan Athletic chalice he took possession of earlier this week had long been poisoned.
There is a fair bit of talent among a rising generation of Scottish Labour politicians but none of them is ready to quaff from the poisoned chalice that is leading the party north of the border.
The position had become something of a poisoned chalice and a lot of people were suffering as a result.
It was, however, a poisoned chalice.
Still, he will be battling to win a poisoned chalice: within a month the new Fianna Fáil leader will almost certainly find him- or (less likely) herself leading a severely depleted and demoralised party in opposition.
True, the former president's image has improved somewhat over the past month: 70% rather than 75% now say they disapprove of him, according to Ricardo Rouvier, a pollster.Rather, Mr Menem's resurgence stems from the weakness, or reluctance, of other potential contenders for the poisoned chalice that is Argentina's presidency.
