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President in hot water for comment made in paddy

President Chen Shui-bian smiles as he plants rice seedlings in a paddy belonging to farmer Wu Kuo-ming in Wufeng Township, Taichung County, yesterday. PHOTO: CHAN CHAO-YANG, TAIPEI TIMES

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) caused a stir yesterday with a remark to a female reporter during a visit to Wufeng (霧峰) Township, Taichung County, to plant rice.

When the reporter asked Chen what he was thinking as he planted the rice, he said: "I am thinking of you."

His remark drew a round of laughter, but some of the reporters covering the president's trip said they thought it was offensive.

The reporter in question, Chen Yi-heng (陳誼恆) of Sanlih E-TV, said that she was shocked by the president's reply.

"I guess I was shocked because I thought he would have said something different, like planting rice reminded him of his childhood or the toil of rice farmers or the importance of hard work," she said.

She said she did not feel uncomfortable or give it much thought afterwards.

She also said the president might not have been able to see her very well because he was stooping down, she was standing behind a bush and she's not very tall.

"I would have thought it was very inappropriate if he had said it right to my face, though," she said.

Taichung-based Hsiao Hsu-mei (蕭夙眉), a reporter for the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper) found the president's remark funny because she was beginning to feel bored when he did not answer questions reporters were asking him about his "state affairs fund" case

Hsiao said she and Chen Yi-heng were laughing afterward when she congratulated her colleague on her recent good luck.

Hsiao said Chen Yi-heng won a NT$300,000 prize at her station's year-end banquet, and "now the president said he was thinking of her."

The Presidential Office downplayed the incident, saying the president had been trying to say "I am thinking you are working as hard as rice farmers."

When asked about the comment at a function last night, President Chen said that he had not known who asked the question and that he had been concentrating on planting rice.
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