Ms. Hong Xiuzhu was conferred MA(Master of Arts) degree for her completing a short-termed, intensive studying of education at North Eastern Missouri State University, now Truman State University, in early 90's.  Since then she's been registering the degree as one of her academic attainments. 

Now here came mudslingings by whispering campaign from pro-DPP TV "pundits".  At first they questioned Ms. Hong's degree is a fake, and claimed that the university is a "ghost" school and issues degrees for profit purpose.  When all evidences had proved her degree is a genuine one and the university is one of the best in regional ranking, those "pundits" now accused of Ms. Hong for her registering the degree in Chinese as Master of Education in stead of Master of Arts, and that was a cheat.  Come on, it is a common sense that with few exceptions(e.g. MBA) most of master degrees are MA and MS(Master of Science), just like most of the doctorate degrees are Ph.D.  I think it's appropriate for a degree owner to specify his or her speicalization in Chinese, otherwise who knows what kind of Arts or Philosophy it is referred to. 

The purpose of mudslinging is simple.  The attackers are trying to make the victims feel infuriating and further leak some flaws.  Even the victims are able to handle the cases with remarkable aplomb, the damage have done because the low-class media in Taiwan would, sometimes intentionally, give the audience a false impression that the problem at issue is highly "controversial", and so the probity of the victims is questionable also.  Dear islanders, you want democracy?  You've got it!