Lin apologizes to Taiwan women but not to Chen

Lin Chung-mo (林重謨) apologized to the nation's women yesterday for his outburst on the legislative floor last week, in which the DPP lawmaker compared an incoming female legislator to a "prostitute."

But Lin refused to extend his apology to Sisy Chen (陳文茜), the TV talk show host and newly elected independent legislator that was the target of his criticism.

"Don't ever think that I'm apologizing to Chen. Never!" Lin said yesterday after a two-hour, closed-door meeting of the DPP's legislative caucus.

Lin said yesterday that he was apologizing to female sex workers and others who may have felt offended by his remarks against Chen.

When asked whether the lawmaker would be more mindful of his language in the future, Lin said that he would like to "sharpen his Mandarin."

The Taiwanese native said his comments might not have landed him in hot water if he was more eloquent in Mandarin.

Lin yesterday also called on People First Party lawmaker Chin Huei-chu (秦慧珠) to drop efforts to have the DPP legislator brought before the legislature's Discipline Committee.

After PFP lawmaker Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) called Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭), the minister of transportation and communications, "shameless" on the legislative floor, "nobody demanded any apology or discipline against Liu," Lin said.

DPP lawmaker Chou Po-lun (周伯倫) -- who had earlier supported plans to punish Lin for his remarks -- backed away from the idea yesterday. "I've decided not to sign the motion initiated by Chin," Chou said.

Chen yesterday told reporters that she wasn't surprised by Lin's refusal to apologize to her.

"There's always someone who enjoys insulting me, including DPP members," Chen said, adding that she had been the target of criticism when she was a DPP member working at the party's headquarters.

"That strand of evil has undermined not only the party, but also the entire nation."

Chen said that Lin went on the verbal attack after she criticized him on TV and in articles for helping KMT legislator Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才) secure the head of the legislature's Finance Committee.

Former DPP chairman and independent lawmaker Shih Ming-te (施明德) also came to Chen's defense Chen's defense.

Shih compared the DPP government to the Taliban, saying the two have caused turbulence within their countries.

"It's time for the president to come out and restrain the actions of his DPP colleagues," Shih said.

After Chen's press conference yesterday, Lin and Chou held another press conference to refute her remarks.

Lin said Chen had maligned his personal image by describing him as a mouse in one of her articles.

Chou said that Chen and Chu Mei-feng (璩美鳳) are the same kind of women -- only Chen is worse.

Chu -- a New Party legislative candidate who failed in her re-election bid in the Dec. 1 polls -- has been in the media spotlight this week after a tabloid published a lengthy story about her private sex life.

Included with the story was a free VCD purporting to show a secretly filmed sexual encounter between Chou and a married man.