Check and Balance

His name wasn't on the ballot, but Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian was the big loser in the island's legislative election last Saturday. Candidates from Chen's independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party and its ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Unionknown collectively as the "green" campwon only 101 out of 225 seats in the fiercely fought contest. The winner: the "blue" Kuomintang- or KMT-led opposition, which favors eventual reunification with China, managed to retain a slim majority by securing 114 seats, just one more than it previously held. KMT chairman Lien Chan emerged from his office at 8:30 p.m. wearing his biggest smile since losing...