Such Devotion, Such Betrayal

Such Devotion, Such Betrayal
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
January 20, 2009

While in detention, Chen Shui-bian wrote "Taiwan's Crucifix." He has chosen to publish it on the eve of the Trial of the Century. Not surprisingly, he has denied every one of the prosecution's charges. It's bad enough that he refuses to take responsibility for his wrongdoing. In his book he launches into an unsparing and heartless tirade against his former comrades. Half of the Green Princes of the DPP are referred to by name and subjected to harsh criticism. This means that as the Green Camp enters the post-Chen era, the illusion of harmony has been totally shattered.

Chen's scandals have emitted a foul stench. But most leaders of the Democratic Progressive Party are biting their tongues. The overwhelming majority are unwilling to cast the first stone. When Chen was indicted, DPP leaders said they could not cut their ties with him, despite criticism they were turning a blind eye to right and wrong. Whether their decision was rooted in self-interest or camaraderie, the Democratic Progressive Party backed Chen to the bitter end. What did they receive in return? Chen struck first and cut his ties with them. In his book, "Taiwan's Crucifix," Ah-Bian blasts Frank Hsieh, Yu Shyi-kun, Tsai Ing-wen, and the DPP. He concludes, in short, that everyone is indebted to him.

Read what Ah-Bian wrote. Listen to his tone: "Nobody owes me, I owe everybody, I owe the Democratic Progressive Party, I owe Chairman Tsai, I didn't do enough, I didn't sacrifice enough!" Translation: "Everyone of you owes me! Tsai Ing-wen owes me. The entire DPP owes me! The DPP has failed to live up to the whole are to live up to my expectations! Whether Tsai Ing-wen accepts such claims, we don't know. But everyone knows Chen Shui-bian left the Democratic Progressive Party in a mess that Tsai Ing-wen must clean up. When Tsai Ing-wen was running over the island raising funds for the cash-strapped Democratic Progressive Party, the public learned that every one of Chen Shui-bian's overseas accounts contained hundreds of millions of dollars. One of these accounts even listed the Democratic Progressive Party as its dummy head. The loose change in any of these accounts would have immediately alleviated the financial pressure on the Democratic Progressive Party. But lo and behold, this money "belonged" to Chen Chih-chung! Consider the weight of the cross Tsai Ing-wen had to bear. Yet Ah-Bian maintains Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP owe him.

Ah-Bian also nursed grievances about Frank Hsieh's defeat in the presidential election. He blasted Hsieh for distancing himself from the legislative elections, the ruling administration, and the president. He said for Hsieh to "repudiate the past eight years was tantamount to repudiating himself." What Ah-Bian meant was that if Hsieh had embraced Chen Shui-bian, he might have won! Whether Frank Hsieh agrees with Chen's assessment, we don't know. But hit rewind and we will see the legislative elections being choreographed by Ah-Bian, in toto. Hsieh basically stood in the wings and played a supporting role. The main theme of that election campaign was Chen's "Join the UN Plebiscite." By the time that fiasco had drawn to a close, the Democratic Progressive Party held fewer than one-fourth of the seats in the legislature. Chen had thoroughly undermined Taipei/Washington relations. Hsieh didn't need to distance himself from Ah-Bian. Ah-Bian had already dragged Hsieh down with him! Ah-Bian's State Affairs Fund scandal erupted just as Hsieh began his presidential campaign. Chen Shui-bian may be reluctant to admit it, but political observers agree that Hsieh faced an uphill fight, and that Chen Shui-bian was the biggest albatross around Hsieh's neck. Why wouldn't Hsieh want to distance himself from Ah-Bian? He wanted to, but he couldn't!

Chen Shui-bian's intentions are clear. He has no intention of letting the leadership of the Democratic Progressive Party disown him. He is going to disown them first. He did not blast Annette Lu. He did not blast Su Tseng-chang. But he did blast Tsai Ing-wen, Frank Hsieh, and Yu Shyi-kun. He still hopes to influence the Democratic Progressive Party's future. Ah-Bian's strategy is transparent. He intends to use allegations of a miscarriage of justice to counter charges of corruption. He intends to use the Taiwan independence movement's dream of building a nation to hijack Deep Green followers. He intends to use Chen Faction DPP members to hijack the Democratic Progressive Party. He has hundreds of ways to attract media attention. By such means he intends to manipulate the future of the Green Camp. In doing so, he finds himself drifting farther and farther from Frank Hsieh and Tsai Ing-wen. Even under detention, he refused to ease up on them. That is hardly a coincidence.

As Chen's trial proceeds, his political tricks will multiply. From beginning to end, the DPP remained mum about Chen Shui-bian's corruption. It was categorically unwilling to disown him. But Chen Shui-bian has now turned on the Democratic Progressive Party. He wants his pound of flesh. He has seized the initiative, demanding that Democratic Progressive Party leaders cut their ties with him. In short, someone who has already quit the party, who is unable to explain his involvement in multiple scandals, still intends to hijack the DPP. He still intends to stir up trouble within the Democratic Progressive Party. This is what the Democratic Progressive Party has come to. If it continues to side with Chen, based on past loyalty, the public will only be able to shake its head in disbelief.

中時電子報
中國時報 　2009.01.20
如此一往情深 換來的是什麼
中時社論

選在扁案世紀大審的前夕，陳水扁將他在看守所期間所撰寫的《台灣的十字架》搶先上市。不出意外，面對檢方就他所涉弊案的指控，他一概都否認，不認帳也就罷了，他在這本書中更不惜對他昔日的同志，進行了一次相當不留情面的撻伐，幾乎有半數以上的綠營天王都被他點名批判；這也意味，綠營在邁入後扁年代後所硬撐起來的表面和諧，至此算是完全戳破了。

要知道，迄今為止，民進黨內的多數領導精英，對扁所涉的種種令人不堪聞問的弊案，多半是選擇隱忍不發的，絕大多數都不願對扁「口出惡言」，扁被檢方起訴時，儘管外界已有「是非不分」的質疑，民進黨中央還是發聲明坦承與扁「無法切割」，不論這是基於利害考量，或是顧念同志情誼，民進黨終究是選擇對扁一路相挺。然而民進黨對扁的這種「一往情深」，最終換來的卻是扁的「主動切割」。在扁的《台灣的十字架》一書中，他批謝長廷、批游錫？、批蔡英文，更批民進黨，總而言之，他認為所有人都對不起他！

看看扁在書中所寫的這段話，語氣有多刻薄：「沒有人欠我，只有我欠大家，我欠民進黨，我欠蔡主席，我做得不夠，我犧牲的還不夠！」這種語言修辭假如翻成白話文，簡單地說就是「你們全都對不起我！」不僅蔡英文主席對不起陳水扁，整個民進黨都辜負了陳水扁！我們不知道這種指控蔡英文接不接受，至少所有人都心知肚明：陳水扁留給蔡英文的民進黨，究竟是怎樣的爛攤子！當蔡英文還在南北奔波替財務吃緊的民進黨募款之際，陳水扁在海外逐一曝光的帳戶卻個個都是以億計數，其中被掛名當人頭的還包括民進黨在內，這其中隨便拿任何一個戶頭總額的零頭，都可以立刻紓緩當下民進黨的財務壓力，但這些錢卻全是陳致中的！想想蔡英文扛的是多重的十字架？但扁卻認蔡英文與民進黨都對不起他！

對謝長廷的敗選，扁的怨言顯然更多！他批謝切割立委選舉、切割行政團隊、切割總統，指責謝長廷「否定過去八年，等於是否定自己」。扁說這些話的用意，顯然是認為如果當初謝選擇擁抱陳水扁，說不定還有機會勝選！我們不知道謝長廷是否同意這種說法，但如果倒帶到前年底的立委選舉現場，就知道那根本是場扁直接主導的選舉，謝根本一直被晾在邊緣充當配角，那場主打「入聯公投」的選舉，不僅最後讓民進黨的立委席次跌到僅占四分之一以下，還賠上了台美關係，謝其實用不著切割就已經被拖累了！而當總統大選起跑之際，也正是扁的國務機要費案次第爆發之時，陳水扁或許不願承認，但所有政情觀察家大致上都同意，謝的這場選戰會打得這麼辛苦，陳水扁正是他最大的包袱，他何曾不想切割？他根本切割不了！

陳水扁的算盤打得很清楚，他不等民進黨領導精英與他切割，搶先做切割的動作，他不批呂，不批蘇，卻選擇痛批蔡英文、謝長廷與游錫？，用意當然很明顯，他還要主導民進黨未來的命運。扁的戰略很清楚，用「司法不公」對抗所涉弊案的指控，用「建國夢想」裹脅深綠群眾，用扁系人馬裹脅民進黨，他甚至有一百種以上的方法吸引媒體注意，藉由這些手段，他尋求進一步操縱綠營未來的路線走向，在這個過程中與他漸行漸遠的，不就是謝長廷與蔡英文等人嗎？他被關在看守所中，都不願放過這兩人，豈是偶然的？

隨著扁案審判時程的推進，陳水扁未來的政治動作只會多不會少。一路以來民進黨中央對扁案的立場，都是選擇緘默以對，也都不願做任何切割，如今卻輪到陳水扁回頭來對民進黨算帳，甚至還主動對民進黨當下的領導層進行切割。講得再白一點，一個已經退黨的人，一個對所涉弊案很難澄清的涉案人，卻一直到現在都還在持續凌遲民進黨，還企圖持續綁架民進黨，甚至還想繼續在民進黨內興風作浪，民進黨走到這般田地，如果繼續選擇對扁一往情深，外界恐怕也只有嘆息的份！