Chen Chu Should Beware of the Tail Wagging the Dog

Chen Chu Should Beware of the Tail Wagging the Dog
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
March 22, 2012

Summary: DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng questioned Premier Sean Chen in the Legislature. He set a record by asking the same question 88 times. "Should Ah-bian be pardoned?" Gao Jyh-peng was pleased with his own performance, His colleagues in the Legislature however, considered his behavior pointless grandstanding. But let us take a closer look. Behavior such as this reflects the DPP's loss of direction in its ongoing effort to save Ah-Bian. It is a perfect case of "the tail wagging the dog."

Full Text below:

DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng questioned Premier Sean Chen in the Legislature. He set a record by asking the same question 88 times. "Should Ah-bian be pardoned?" Gao Jyh-peng was pleased with his own performance, His colleagues in the Legislature however, considered his behavior pointless grandstanding. But let us take a closer look. Behavior such as this reflects the DPP's loss of direction in its ongoing effort to save Ah-Bian. It is a perfect case of "the tail wagging the dog."

The "Save Ah-Bian!" movement was initiated by the Hakka Society, the Northern Society, and other "Nativist" oriented social groups. Claiming that Chen Shui-bian was suffering from coronary artery disease, joined hands with Chen faction members and circulated a petition. They demanded that the Ministry of Justice grant Ah-Bian medical leave. This demand was followed by pressure from party factions. Within the Democratic Progressive Party, demands for medical parole soon escalated, and became demands for a pardon. The very next day, Lin Chia-lung and other younger generation legislators proposed a "Save Ah-Bian!" bill according the former head of state special medical privileges. Gao Jyh-peng simultaneously staged his 88 questions stunt, demanding that Ah-Bian be pardoned.

A few days later. the DPP abandoned its battle against US beef imports. It turned all its attention to a crusade to "Save Ah-Bian!" This was an unexpected turn of events. Viewed positively, the DPP displayed party unity. They DPP has long been a party able to fight shoulder to shoulder. Viewed negatively, the DPP has lost its sense of direction. It has even lost its sense of proportion. Its army of believers may be combative, but it is also foolhardy. Otherwise, why would it channel the party's energy into saving Ah-Bian, protecting Ah-Bian?

Question: Is Chen Shui-bian really being subjected to inhumane treatment in prison? Is the Ministry of Justice really indifferent to his health? The answer is no. On what basis is the DPP claiming inhumane treatment? Question: Has Chen Shui-bian acknowledged the error of his ways? Has he engaged in genuine soul-searching? Has he coughed up the money he embezzled and squirreled away overseas? Does the majority on Taiwan feel that Ah-Bian and Ah-Chen's crimes deserve sympathy? The answer is no. Are the DPP's demands that Ah-Bian be pardoned and granted special privileges valid?

Lest we forget, the DPP was an accomplice to the Chen family's corruption. The DPP has never apologized to the people of Taiwan over the past four years. Now they assume that with the passage of time, they can use Chen Shui-bian to tighten the screws on the Ma administration. Aren't they being a little naive? Consider an even more interesting fact. Tsai Ing-wen kept Chen Shui-bian at arm's length for four years. Her actio0n was highly calculated. But at least it was not unseemly. Chen Chu has been acting chairman for under a month. Yet the entire party has suddenly swarmed toward Chen Shui-bian. Why?

The DPP's effort to "Save Ah-bian!" has been characterized as a case of the tail wagging the dog. There are three reasons for this. One. Chen Shui-bian's plight is of course a matter for DPP concern. But it is hardly the party's highest priority. Social organizations that back Ah-Bian started the movement. All the DPP had to do was cheer them from the sidelines. There was no need for the entire party to join in a feeding frenzy. Now the entire party is being led around by the nose by sundry support groups. If this is not the tail wagging the dog, what is it? If this is not the loss of a sense of proportion, what is it?

Two. The DPP's way of saving Ah-Bian was excessive. The Democratic Progressive Party is the largest opposition party on Taiwan. The ruling party would never disdain any reasonable questioning by opposition party legislators, or any reasonable demands by members of the press. But Green Camp legislators are abusing the power of the legislature to pass a law custom-tailored to Ah-Bian alone. They have even sunk to using inappropriate questioning methods to attack the ruling party. This approach, in the public's eyes, is a typical case of private abuse of public resources. It is a waste of the nation's resources and of legislative responsibilities, merely to shield a greedy kleptocrat. It is a clear case of putting the cart before the horse.

Three. The movement to "Save Ah-Bian!" is now in full swing, Rumor has it the Ah-Bian faction is applying pressure behind the scenes. It is forcing other legislators to back Ah-Bian out of guilt. This shows that the DPP leadership has lost both its sense of direction and its sense of proportion. Chen Chu is merely acting chairman. Perhaps she has no intention of aggressively asserting her leadership at this point. But the result has been a lack of policy direction. The result has been chaos created by factional maneuvering. What is this, but the tail wagging the dog?

The DPP lost the general election. The DPP is lost. Therefore its legislators snipe at the Ma administration in a vain effort to rally voters. The DPP has a number of freshmen legislators able to put up a good fight. But they cannot rid themselves of combative attitudes and contrarian habits. They have been unable to offer a positive example of a loyal opposition party concerned for the larger interests of the nation. The current "Save Ah-Bian!" movement is a perfect example. The flames may burn bright. But the banner being waved is not the banner of exalted justice or the banner of the greater good, It cannot move peoples' hearts. It merely reveals the DPP's lack of impulse control. The deficits outweigh the benefits.

The DPP has put the cart before the horse, again and again. The outside world now has a clearer picture. Tsai Ing-wen's leadership style had its strengths. Chen Chu may consider herself merely an interim leader. She may relinquish the chairmanship in May. But until then she still has a responsibility to be a good leader. She must not allow the DPP to squander its energy.

陳菊要小心這波尾巴搖狗現象
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.03.22 01:49 am

民進黨立委高志鵬在國會質詢，面對陳?。以同一問題連續追問了八十八次「應不應特赦阿扁」，創下紀錄。高志鵬頗以自己的質詢招數自得，立院同仁則認為是無聊的作秀；但仔細觀察，這其實反映了民進黨在這波救扁運動中「尾巴搖狗」的失衡現象。

「救扁行動」最初是由客社、北社等本土社團發起，以陳水扁患有冠心症為由，串連扁系人馬連署，要求法務部讓扁保外就醫。接著，在派系施壓及操作下，保外就醫的籲求很快在民進黨內升高為要求「特赦」。再隔一日，林佳龍等一批青壯立委連署提案，要求要為扁修法恢復卸任元首的醫療「禮遇」；同時，也有了高志鵬跳針八十八次的挺扁演出。

短短數日，民進黨拋棄「反美牛」的戰場，全力轉攻「搶救阿扁」的聖戰，不能不說是一個突兀的轉折。往好處看，民進黨確實很團結，總是能齊心合力作戰；往壞處看，當下的民進黨似乎缺乏方向感，甚且輕重不分，因此大軍徒有戰力卻只會蠻幹。否則，在這個節骨眼，有何必要傾全黨之力去進行救扁、護扁之役？

試問：陳水扁在獄中受到了非人道待遇嗎？或者法務部門置他的健康於不顧了嗎？答案是沒有。那麼，民進黨要求的人道待遇，立論根據何在？再問：陳水扁懇切認錯反省了嗎？他的貪瀆款項全數吐清了嗎？台灣多數民眾已覺得扁珍之罪「其情可憫」嗎？答案也全是否定。那麼，民進黨要求給他特赦和禮遇，又正當性何在？

更別忘了，作為扁家貪瀆的共犯結構，民進黨本身過去四年也從未就此向台灣人民道過歉。如今，卻以為時過境遷，又可以拿阿扁來向馬政府施壓，豈非太過天真？更耐人尋味的是，蔡英文過去四年和陳水扁保持「敬而遠之」的關係，雖嫌機巧，至少無礙觀瞻；而陳菊代理主席職務不到一個月，整個黨即瞬間向阿扁轟然傾斜，這又是什麼原因？

之所以形容民進黨這波救扁運動是「尾巴搖狗」，有幾個原因：第一，陳水扁的處境當然可以關切，卻不是黨當前的迫切要務；挺扁社團發起行動後，民進黨只要敲敲邊鼓略事聲援即可，無需全黨上下群起呼喝響應。而如今鬧到整個黨被周邊社團牽著鼻子走，不是「尾巴搖狗」、輕重不分，卻是什麼？

第二，救援行動的手段選擇，超乎了界線。以民進黨最大在野黨的地位，只要透過質詢或記者會提出合理訴求，相信執政黨絕對不敢輕慢；但綠委卻要動用立法權去為阿扁量身打造禮遇，甚至利用不恰當的質詢手段來壓迫執政黨。這種作法，在民眾看來，才是典型的公器私用；浪費國家資源和國會職務來保護一個敗德者，當然是本末倒置。

第三，救扁行動之所以如火如荼，據傳主要是扁系人馬在幕後施壓，迫使其他立委表態挺扁；這樣的運作，也反映了黨中央在青黃不接之際的失控狀態。陳菊只是代理主席，或許因此無意在此期間表現積極領導的作為，但缺乏政策指引的結果，便造成了派系操作引導政黨走向的錯亂現象，這能說不是尾巴搖狗嗎？

大選失敗後，民進黨可以做的，應該是利用立委在國會的犀利問政，來鞭策馬政府，並召喚選民的認同。遺憾的是，民進黨雖有一批戰力不錯的新秀進入國會，卻無法改掉好戰、為反而反的習性，因而難以展現反對黨矯正國家決策的積極作用。尤其這波救扁行動，烽火雖然燒得熾烈，高舉的卻不是讓人振奮的正義或公益的大旗，徒然讓人感到師心自用，甚至暴露了黨內的盲動與失控，得不償失。

看到民進黨連串的本末倒置景象，外界也許更能看出，蔡英文任內的領導模式確有其所長。陳菊或許只是以過渡者自居，但在五月交卸主席職務前，她仍有責任扮好領導角色，不要再讓民進黨的能量虛擲。