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.
（新春走基层）“火眼警长”守护春运回家路******
中新网柳州1月19日电 题：“火眼警长”守护春运回家路
作者 孙赟飞 黄勇盛 李肖彤
姚茂治是南宁铁路公安局柳州公安处柳州站派出所的客运警务区警长，今年是他为旅客守护平安的第28个春运。他的眼睛不大，但同事们却都喜欢叫他“火眼警长”。
这个外号的由来，还得从2022年一起假币案说起。2022年9月的一天，正在车站巡逻的姚茂治凭借自己丰富的经验和强大的眼力，抓获了一名制贩假币的犯罪嫌疑人，成功查获一批价值十余万元人民币的假币。
“当时我只是觉得他形迹可疑，没想到真的有问题。”姚茂治笑着说，自此之后，同事们都叫他“火眼警长”了。
今年春运，返乡客流激增。为了守护好来往旅客的出行平安，姚茂治不得不多付出几倍的努力。在采访的过程中，两分钟一个电话似乎也在印证着这一点。
姚茂志巡视车站候车室。 张磊 摄一天20000步，巡逻20次，查验进站旅客证件5000余份，查获各类违禁品50余件，接到旅客求助20余次，这是姚茂治一天的工作清单。繁重的工作压力只为守护旅客的平安回家路，这在姚茂治心里，既是职责，也是担当。
守护好旅客的出行平安，需要勤恳的付出，也需要专一的坚守。春运期间，姚茂治经常站在安检机旁，紧盯过往旅客是否携带违禁物品，这一站，往往就是两三个小时。近日，他就在周某和林某携带的行李中分别查获了一枚子弹和一包毒品，并依法对他们进行了处罚。
姚茂志观察行李安检机。 张磊 摄姚茂治的一双“火眼金睛”不仅用在打击违法犯罪，还用在服务旅客上。准备过年了，有些旅客因着急赶车，容易出现遗失物品和小孩的情况。
今年1月14日，正在车站巡逻的姚茂治就接到一名旅客的求助。“警察同志，我女儿不见了，能帮我找找吗？”旅客赵某焦急找到姚茂治求助道。面对旅客的求助，他一边安抚赵某，一边帮助其回忆进站细节，随后仔细查看监控视频后断定其女儿并没有跟随赵某进站，最终成功在进站口帮助赵某找到了女儿。
无独有偶，当天下午，一名乘车的老人家也向他求助，称自己携带的钱包不见了，里面有一些零钱和回家过年的车票。姚茂治迅速行动起来，在车站内仔细来回寻找，成功在候车室帮老人找到了钱包，并将老人送上了回家的列车。
姚茂志检查相关证件。 张磊 摄今年春节，姚茂治正好在除夕夜值班，不能回家与家人吃团圆饭，这让他心里有些许愧疚。而这也让想起了今年1月10日刚去世的母亲。当天正逢中国人民警察节，母亲因患胰腺癌去世，那天早上他刚下夜班回家，忙绿了一晚上的他见到了母亲最后一面。说到这里，他扭过头去抹了抹眼角。
春节临近了，在这万家团圆的时刻，姚茂治依旧行走在巡逻的路上，看着来往旅客归心似箭的身影和带着期许的笑脸，他的脸上也浮现了一抹笑意。或许对他来说，旅客的出行平安，才是给自己最好的新年礼物。(完)
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