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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.
江苏徐州：“消防嫂”探班消防队 新年让爱团圆****** (新春走基层)江苏徐州：“消防嫂”探班消防队 新年让爱团圆 中新网徐州1月18日电 题：江苏徐州：“消防嫂”探班消防队 新年让爱团圆 作者 刘贺 朱志庚 “每一处魔术贴都要粘好，拉链拉上，不要只图快，因为你在火场上，危险无处不在。”兔年春节前夕的“小年”当天，在江苏省徐州市鼓楼区消防救援大队，13岁的许晶然在消防员的指导下将沉甸甸的消防救援服“艰难”地穿在身上。  瑞雪迎春，消防员王震与家属在雪中享受团圆。 方金麟 摄窗外漫天飞雪，屋内许晶然额头上却沁出了滴滴汗水。“太沉了，以前都是在电视上看消防员，觉得他们跑得特别快，很酷！没想到这身衣服这么重，我穿了将近五分钟才穿上，体验了一把我哥的辛苦。”今年才13岁的许晶然在哥哥许洪海的指导下穿上救援服。  许晶然(右)试穿消防救援服。 方金麟 摄年关将至，为了让消防指战员能和亲属过一个团圆年，徐州市鼓楼区消防救援大队举行“新年让爱团圆”活动，邀请消防员家属走进消防队，体验消防生活、学习消防知识，一起吃个团圆饭。当天，和许晶然一样来到消防队的家属共有19位。活动现场，消防员们化身“解说员、指导员”，为家属们讲解日常防火常识、带家属体验装备器材。他们一同开茶话会、聚餐，让家属们“零距离”接触队伍文化和日常生活，身临其境感受、了解队员们的“日常”。  消防员与家属围坐一起，共享团聚。 朱志庚 摄“我是特地赶来的，毕竟好久没有见老公了。”“消防嫂”王晶来自河南濮阳，与丈夫邵闯闯上次见面还是8个月前，得知队里组织活动，王晶第一时间报了名，从近400公里外的老家赶了过来。“能见到他，感觉就很好。”王晶坦言，自己还有一个小小的新年愿望，希望新的一年里，可以把婚礼补办上。她与邵闯闯领证两年多了，由于邵闯闯平日里工作忙，还没有办婚礼。  消防员李顺一家三口。 方金麟 摄在队里，大家对邵闯闯的评价是“说话不多、办事不拖”，老实憨厚的他，此刻和妻子共同享受着包饺子话团圆的喜悦，相识七年来，今年是两人一起度过的第一个春节。“今年我来刚好能和老公一起过年，感觉是特别具有纪念意义的一年，之前我看一个歌词挺好的，‘你说最好的人会在身边，此刻我也这样想’”。  王晶(左)与邵闯闯一起参与趣味消防游戏。 刘贺 摄看着热气腾腾的饺子，思念涌上心头。已九年未回家过年的消防员廖伟智默默离开餐厅，打给了远在浙江安吉的亲人。  消防员郑伟一家四口在营队合影。 方金麟 摄“喂，妈，通过手机视频，祝您和爸爸新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意。今年春节我已向队里申请，应该可以回家过年。”“好的，儿子，我和你爸在家等你回来。” 质朴的祝福，让视频两边的人都红了眼眶。消防员有这样一句话：“一家难圆、万家圆；百姓过节、消防过关”。万家灯火的背后，是消防人的默默坚守。  廖伟智与远在浙江吉安的母亲打视频电话。 朱志庚 摄“在此新春之际，我们借此机会，组织‘新年让爱团圆’活动，让指战员及亲属在队过一个团圆年，特别感谢亲属们长期以来，对消防事业的支持与奉献。”徐州市鼓楼区消防救援大队政治教导员周森说。(完)
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