Aspirants to High Office Must Submit to Close Scrutiny

Aspirants to High Office Must Submit to Close Scrutiny
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
November 21, 2011

Summary: Soong has decided to run for president. Therefore he must be subject to close scrutiny. James Soong's words and deeds must be examined. Not just during his term as governor, but also during the martial law era. His controversial role in the Chung Hsing Bills case, his shuttling back and forth across the Straits, his flip-flopping between the Blue and Green camps, . his intemperate criticisms of media ethics, and lest we forget, his own character issues, are all being scrutinized closely.

Full Text Below:

People First Party Chairman James Soong now has enough signatures on his petition to qualify as an independent presidential candidate. But his poll numbers remain stuck below 10%. Hoping to boost his numbers, James Soong has held yet another television interview. Oddly enough, he is now directing his anger at the media, which has never been optimistic about his election prospects. He apparently believes his presidential bid is in the doldrums because certain elements within the media have deliberately undermined his campaign.

Politicians, especially politicians who have wielded significant political power, are often egotistical, even arrogant. Their absolute belief in themselves enables them to step over others in their endless quest for power, to sacrifice others in their ascend to the summit of power. The media, on the other hand, is perpetually outside the circle of power, It records their words and deeds, their successes and failures, with a cold eye. Politicians may forget what they said or did yesterday, Unfortunately for them, the media does not.

James Soong cannot blame the media for not being optimistic about his prospects. Polling organizations may disagree. Their sampling may be imprecise. Nevertheless from the moment polling on the upcoming general election began, Soong has ranked third behind Ma and Tsai. A distant third, at that. The People First Party is akin to the restorationist Mu Rongfu gang in Jin Yong's wuxia novels. It is akin to ignorant children. They shout "Long live Mu Rongfu. The restoration must succeed." But the media's mission is to tell the truth. Can it ignore political reality and mislead voters, merely to please politicians?

James Soong has been a player for many decades. James Soong was once a bright light. But no matter how bright one might shine, power always comes to an end. Fail to realize this, and one will will fall into the trap of wanting everything but obtaining nothing.

In 2000, the Lien-Soong ticket failed to topple Chen Shui-bian. James Soong wanted to be both Vice President and Premier. But no one would agree to shis condition, The reason was simple. The President-Elect might be willing to appoint the Vice President-Elect Premier. But years ago the Grand Justices handed down a constitutional interpretation ruling that "inappropriate." Attempts to make Lien Chan simultaneously Vice President and Premier, threw the nation into political chaos for half a year. James Soong may have laid down these unreasonable conditions. He may have done so knowing that Lien Chan and the KMT could not possibly bow to them. In which case, how do we explain 2004?

In 2004, following the Lien-Soong ticket's defeat, the Kuomintang Party (KMT) wanted to unite the KMT and the PFP. Lien Chan even promised to make James Soong Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, He agreed to turn all authority for party affairs over to James Soong. But Lien Chan lacked final authority on one issue. Soong demanded the Party Chairmanship once Lien Chan's term expired. Lien Chan could not promise this because according to the party constitution, the chairman must be directly elected by the party members, How can the former chairman appoint his successor?

The attempt to reunite the KMT and the PFP failed. James Soong had more tricks up his sleeve. In 2005, he pulled another stunt. He took part in a "Chen/Soong secret meeting." He refused to allow Lien Chan to outshine him during his visit to the Mainland. He met with Chen and had himself annointed "special envoy." But Chen Shui-bian took advantage of him for an entire year. The "Song/Chen (Yunlin) secret meeting" controversy raged for an entire year. It was even dragged into court. Only then did Soong break with Chen and become radicalized. In 2006, he called for the president's impeachment. The attempt failed. Soong then called for a vote of non-confidence. According to WikiLeaks, he simultaneously demanded that the KMT force Hau Lung-bin to back down, and seek election as Taipei mayor instead. James Soong told AIT Director Stephen M. Young that his move meant he would not run for president in 2008, nor would he serve as premier under Chen Shui-bian. Shouldn't a politician like this, who changes his political colors from Blue to Green and back at the drop of a hat, who holds secret meetings and makes backroom deals, be subjected to public scrutiny?

Power tends to blind people. People with power invariably develop blind spots. Soong's biggest blind spot is his assumption that he can ignore what he said and did. He thinks the public must play along with him. and the media must not contradict him or challenge him. But we believe that anyone aspiring to high office must be subject to close scrutiny. A responsible media must subject power seekers to the harshest scrutiny and public criticism. This is true of the Two Yings. It is equally true of James Soong. How can the media forget what James Soong said in 2006, after losing the election for Taipei mayor? He said he was "retiring from Taiwan's political scene." How can the media forget what James Soong said when he ran for president? He said he would remain in the race only if one million people signed his petition. A politician may aspire to high office. But if he refuses even to stand by his campaign promises, never mind the judgment rendered by historians. What about the judgment rendered by the media?

Those who wield power, are blinded by power. The DPP and Chen Shui-bian were able to lead James Soong around by the nose. This year the DPP and the "San Min Chi media" (SET TV, Formosa TV, and the Liberty Times) have played him for a fool once again. Has James Soong forgotten his meeting with Henan Provincial Governor Guo Gengmao in June of this year? Soong declared that "I am from Henan Province. I was born in Hunan. I am merely working on Taiwan." In the eyes of the DPP, someone who says he is "merely working on Taiwan," is either a "traitor to Taiwan" or a "reunificationist." How can it possibly co-operate with him? When someone suggested that James Soong serve as Governor of Hainan Island or Hunan Province, and renewing experience as governor, Soong was foolish enough to be flattered.

Soong has decided to run for president. Therefore he must be subject to close scrutiny. James Soong's words and deeds must be examined. Not just during his term as governor, but also during the martial law era. His controversial role in the Chung Hsing Bills case, his shuttling back and forth across the Straits, his flip-flopping between the Blue and Green camps, . his intemperate criticisms of media ethics, and lest we forget, his own character issues, are all being scrutinized closely.

社論－要競逐大位 就該嚴格接受檢驗
2011-11-21
中國時報
【本報訊】

儘管已跨過獨立參選的連署門檻，但親民黨主席宋楚瑜的民調支持度顯然已陷入瓶頸，始終在百分之十以下擺盪。為此，宋楚瑜再次親上火線接受電視專訪，奇特的是，這回卻把矛頭指向不看好他當選的媒體，認為他的選情低迷，是部分媒體的刻意打壓或操作所致。

政治人物、尤其是曾經握有大權的政治人物，多少都有一定程度的自我中心，甚至狂妄，他們唯有透過絕對相信自己，才能在不斷的權力鬥爭中，踩著別人的犧牲前進並攀上高峰。媒體則永遠在權力圈外，冷眼紀錄政客們的言行與成敗，政客們可能轉頭就忘記自己昨天說過的話或做過的事，媒體不巧全都留下記錄。

宋楚瑜不能怪媒體不看好他，因為民調縱使有各種機構效應或抽樣不夠精準的因素，唯獨從大選民調開始，他始終居於馬、蔡之後，位列第三，而且是遙遙落後的第三。親民黨人可以像金庸小說中一心復國的慕容復黨羽、或無知無識的井邊小兒，高呼慕容復萬歲、復國必成，但媒體的任務就是揭露最逼近事實的真相，豈能無視政治現實，取悅政客而欺騙選民？

翻手雲覆手雨，打滾政壇數十年，宋楚瑜曾經紅極一時，然而，再紅，權力都有走到盡頭的時候，勘不透這點，就會讓自己陷入什麼都想要卻什麼都要不到的窘境。

二千年「連宋配」不成，因為宋楚瑜要求副總統兼行政院長，沒人能答應這個條件，原因很簡單，即使總統當選人願意任命副總統當選人為閣揆，當年的大法官釋憲已經說過「不宜」，那時節為了連戰副總統兼行政院長，政局還紛亂半年之久。當然，宋楚瑜會提出這個不可思議的條件，可能也是基於讓連戰和國民黨無法點頭，那麼，二○○四年又該做何解？

二○○四年「連宋配」敗選之後，國民黨人穿梭希望促成國親兩黨真正合，連戰甚至允諾讓宋楚瑜以黨的副主席兼秘書長，將黨務全權交由宋楚瑜負責，唯一連戰做不了主的事，宋要求連戰黨主席任期屆滿後由他接任，連戰不能點頭的原因是依黨章，主席得由黨員直選，豈是前任主席可以指定？

國親合失敗，宋楚瑜的花招還沒結束。二○○五年他又來一個「扁宋會」，只是不肯讓連戰訪問大陸拔得頭籌，所以要與扁會討一個「特使」身分，結果吃了大虧，整整一年被陳水扁吃豆腐吃到夠，「宋陳」雲林「密會」足足吵了一年還上了法庭，宋楚瑜才徹底與扁決裂，成了激進派。二○○六年先是在立法院推動罷免總統案，罷免案過不了關又推倒閣案，根據維基解密，幾乎在同時間他還要求國民黨勸退郝龍斌，讓他選台北市長，宋楚瑜對ＡＩＴ台北處長楊甦棣說，此舉表示他既不會選二○○八年的總統，也不會出任扁的行政院長。這般遊走藍綠、勤於密室交易的政治人物，不該接受公開檢驗嗎？

權力使人盲目，權力人物總有其盲點。宋楚瑜最大的盲點就是：總以為自己說過的話，做過的事，只要自己選擇忽略，人民就該選擇自動忘記，媒體也不該提出質疑或檢驗。恰恰相反，我們認為對任何有意競逐大位的政治人物，負責任的媒體都該對其進行最嚴酷的檢視與公評，對雙英如此，對宋楚瑜也一樣。這就好像，媒體怎可能忘記宋楚瑜在二○○六年競選台北市長失利後宣布「退出台灣政治」的承諾？又怎麼可能忘記宋楚瑜今年曾以「百萬連署」做為他參選前提的承諾？一個有意競逐大位的政治人物，卻連自己所許過的重大承諾都不願信守，甭提歷史審判了，當下的媒體難道不該質疑嗎？

也因為權力的盲點，民進黨和陳水扁總能耍得宋楚瑜團團轉，耍到今年年民進黨和「三民自媒體」還能再耍他一次。宋楚瑜完全忘記自己就在今年六月間會見河南省長郭庚茂時說「我是河南人，生在湖南，在台灣打工。」一個自比在台灣打工的人，在民進黨眼中不是台奸就是統派，怎麼合作？更甭提還有人出餿主意讓宋楚瑜到海南島或湖南出任省長，重現「省長經驗」，他也能沾沾自喜。

既然要參選總統，就必須接受檢驗。宋楚瑜必須被檢驗的言行，不只有省長政績，還有他在戒嚴年代的言行、他在興票案爭議上的真相交待、他歷年來進出兩岸、遊走藍綠的種種作為等。在信口批評媒體「報格」時，別忘了自己的「人格」，也正在接受檢驗。