The pro-KMT China Post has come out with a stunning editorial on the Case of the Wrongly Dated Document:The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party may be justified to claim that there is a smear campaign behind the TaiMed allegations against its chairwoman and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen.New insights that hurt the KMT keep popping up. The Post notes.....
The timing of the case and a blunder by the country's top economics official in an attempt to prove Tsai corrupt have all fueled the speculations and allegations that the ruling Kuomintang is running a smear campaign to dampen the DPP hopeful's chances of winning the presidency.
It is also dubious why Liu had been bent on finding one document from what she called “two full boxes” of files to prove that Tsai was at fault. Why didn't she try to prove that Tsai was clean?The Post even criticizes the government's use of the special prosecutors office! You know you're in deep poo-poo when even your tame house paper criticizes you for wrongdoing.
.......
But the prosecutors' actions have again underscored the point we have raised: Why did they not take the action in 2008, but choose to do it now and so swiftly?
Underneath all this is the KMT recourse to the formula it used against Chen Shui-bian, which worked, because Chen was actually in violation of the law for, at minimum, tax evasion, but has failed since then. This formula is the whipping up of a fake scandal, followed by a media circus and trial by media, then the application of special prosecutors. The KMT is trying to win this battle with the tactics of the last war....
Meanwhile over in Washington DC at Brookings yesterday Richard Bush, the longtime US government Taiwan analyst, says that if Tsai won the election, any anxieties the US has about her could be calmed. The US unfortunately is still focused on getting Tsai to change her behavior, rather than addressing the root of the problem, Beijing's behavior. But reading between the lines, I get the feeling that US observers are beginning to think that Ma will lose.
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Daily Links:
- China missiles facing Taiwan to reach 1,800 next year.
- Wa Gui, a staple local food.
- Commonwealth: Taiwan overdosing on health care.
- Taiwanese makers in China ship via Taiwan to avoid anti-dumping duties.
- Hahaha. China piously promises not to interfere in the elections.
- Taiwan giving up on US submarines, will find other sources.
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"The KMT is trying to win this battle with the tactics of the last war."
ReplyDeleteWhen friendlier tactics like homestays in green-land will draw indifference at best...
Ma actually ran a savvy campaign last time -- unlike Lien Chan in 2004, who could think of little to do but pathetically ape the DPP's 2000 youth-appeal campaign by adorning rally stages with the Nike swoosh and wearing a Dallas Cowboy's cap.
Problem is that positive PR and glossy promises work best when there's not yet any record to be measured.
I look forward to Next Media Animation's take on this turn of events.
ReplyDelete-SK
It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that that editorial, unsigned as always, was written by none other than Joe Hung, deep KMT support and head of the CNA news outlet, er propaganda machine of the ROC, and Joe has been hating on MA for over a year now, if you read between the lines. He hates DPP even more, but this time he wants MA to lose in order to teach that young whippersnapper a lesson, come what may. Come what May 20. Post January 14. If there isn't a pre-erection shooting again. Joe so hates MA that he prefers a Tsai in office as Prez than another 4 more years of Ma. This is Joe Hung at his best.
ReplyDelete_ Signed,
Trevor UK cornwall, watching ROC deconstruct 2011-2012