中新网评：美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后，美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕，众议院共和党领袖凯文·麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录，将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图：美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀摄
由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素，众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中，美国民主党议员继续抱团，多轮投票中，一票不投麦卡锡，共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折，除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外，与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面，共和党党内反对者认为，麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱，无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府，另一方面，因为共和党的多数优势微弱，党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大，有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外，党内反对者也认为，自己的选票没有换取更多利益，希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步，比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物，众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任，选举几乎没有悬念。然而，麦卡锡此次为当选，不得不做出多个关键让步，其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制，使得众议长的权力被削弱，难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称，麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步，这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下，党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上，美国两党相互拆台，陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内，也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系，相互对抗，选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举，“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈，长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力，其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病，美国所谓的“民主”形象，让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举，变成了政客们利益置换的游戏，进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能，不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
春运首日掠影：让温暖和健康“一路同行”******
中新网杭州1月7日电(张煜欢)春运首日，杭州地区首趟加开列车G4835次载着600多位旅客从杭州东站出发，向着终点站贵阳北疾驰而去，2023年浙江的春运大幕正式开启。
“医生，我咳嗽七八天了，要不要去医院检查一下？”“医生，我经常咳痰咳不出来，有没有什么办法？”1月6日，在宁波开往广州的k212/K209次列车上，一场特别的健康科普在车厢中开展。浙江大学医学院附属第一医院呼吸内科主任医师陈水芳为旅客现场普及新冠病毒个人防护知识和感染后的应对方法，解答旅客们的现场咨询。
几年前，全国劳动模范、杭州客运段甬广车队党总支书记陈美芳发起了一个“劳模智囊团”，陈水芳正是70位成员中的一员。自2017年起，智囊团就每年为春运平安路助力，他们是浙江省各行各业的劳模专家，旅客有需要的时候能求助智囊团成员来帮助解决实际困难，多年来他们为无数旅客的春运之路保驾护航。
“今年春运，旅客们关心的莫过于个人防护问题。所以我们请医生专家来给旅客进行健康讲座和现场咨询，让旅客过个舒心年。”陈美芳介绍。
医生向旅客科普健康知识。 周围 摄“乘上这趟火车，我感觉年味回来了，很温暖，健康知识也很贴心。可能这就是久违的春运氛围吧。”来自广东的邓先生说。
在春运路上，杭州客运段的多趟列车贴起了窗花，挂上了串串灯笼，为旅客送去春联和福字。在杭州西开往武汉的G594次列车上，杭州客运段的乘务员们为前来乘车的旅客送上了健康、平安、福字的三个“大礼包”，车厢中不仅有知名律师团队为旅客讲解防诈骗的法律知识咨询讲座，还有急救志愿者开展海姆立克急救法等急救知识的科普。
“平时最怕的就是小孩子吃东西噎到了，今天在高铁上学到了海姆立克急救法，老师还给我们做了示范，我认真地学习了，觉得还是很需要的。”带着孩子出行的旅客夏女士说。
在上海虹桥开往长沙南的G586次列车上，乘务员给乘车的小旅客们送上了一份小礼物——秋梨膏棒棒糖。
“前两年我们没回家过年，今年赶着春运第一天回家，本以为一个人带娃会很慌乱，没想到乘务员还挺有招。孩子为了拥有棒棒糖，一路上都很听话，让我特别省心，这个‘哄娃神器’太甜太暖心了。”带孩子回武汉过年的张女士说。
“每逢春运，车厢里面小朋友很多，如何让小旅客在长途旅行中不无聊又不吵闹是一大问题。我们想到冬季是容易感冒咳嗽的季节，于是我们为小朋友们特意准备了带有卡通图案的秋梨膏棒棒糖，一方面有益身体健康，另一方面可以让‘小调皮’变成乖宝宝。”杭州客运段列车长姜妹影说。(完)
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