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）探访重庆火车北站春运：行囊装满喜悦 温暖守护归程******
中新网重庆1月12日电 题：探访重庆火车北站春运：行囊装满喜悦 温暖守护归程
作者 张霁雯
虽正值深冬，但重庆近日来阳光明媚，充满暖意。春节临近，重庆火车北站地面广场往来旅客络绎不绝。有的拖着行李箱，步履匆匆，有的携妻带子，笑声朗朗，还有的成群结队、谈笑风生，静候列车的到来......
随着2023年春运正式拉开帷幕，作为重庆主要铁路集散地之一的火车北站忙碌而有序，客流呈现回暖态势。于旅客，这是承载着归家喜悦的温馨旅途，于护航春运的各相关部门，这只守护平安与畅通的用心坚守。
多措并举 助力旅客便捷出行
春运期间，随着客流量逐渐增加，重庆北站物业服务单位——两江产业集团旗下渝高物业公司火车北站项目部客服岗4名工作人员愈加忙碌。他们穿梭在地面广场、进出站口、站台扶梯等各处，做好指引和帮扶服务，协助南来北往的旅客顺利踏上返乡归途，“橘色马甲”的身影格外醒目。
图为旅客们踏上返乡之路。 张霁雯 摄“姑娘，我要坐高铁，应该从哪里进站......”北2进站口，一位独行的老婆婆攥着纸片，寻求帮助。张艺见状立即来到她身旁，根据纸片信息，耐心地指导其如何找到进站口、车次、检票口，送对方顺利进站后才离开。
在北广场，高雨涵的视线始终落在旅客身上，“我们的工作包括为旅客提供乘车咨询，路线指引，失物招领等服务，因为许多旅客有换乘长途汽车和轨道交通的需要，这几天问路的情况较多。”她说。
身着制服的安保人员则穿梭在地面广场、地下车库、出租车上客区、消防监控中心等地，分班组24小时不间断巡逻值守。安保人员李胜告诉记者，巡逻期间重点开展安全隐患排查，客流引导，规范停车，疏散交通等工作，同时向周边商户加强用火用电安全、应急演练、烟花爆竹禁燃禁携带宣传，压紧压实安全生产责任，提升事故防范处置能力。
为旅客营造一个干净整洁的出行环境尤为重要，北站项目部在加派保洁人手、增加保洁设施设备的同时，还制定了详细的保洁方案，划定以地面广场、城市通廊、换乘大厅、出租车道、公共卫生间为主的重点区域。
据重庆火车北站地区综合管理局消息，经预测，春运期间重庆北站预计发送旅客388万人，客流高峰日将在1月18日(腊月二十七)左右出现。“就目前的预售情况来看，郑渝高铁方向的车票比较紧俏。预计1月20日、21日的车票预售也将非常火爆。”北站项目部经理邓吉利说。项目部将配合站区相关单位做好春运服务保障，不断延伸工作触角，扩大服务半径，完善便民功能，确保春运期间旅客出发安全、返程顺利。
图为进站旅客络绎不绝。 张霁雯 摄回家路上 充满兴奋与期待
“麻烦帮我拍张照，谢谢。”在南广场，来自天津南开区的张先生请记者帮忙留下了一张北站“打卡”照，随后传到了家庭群里。这是他第一次来西南地区旅游，从成都一路游玩到重庆，正准备带着满满的收获回乡。
“在重庆，我逛了解放碑、洪崖洞，体验了‘轻轨穿楼’，山城步道爬到腿软，给我留下了深刻的印象。”张先生说，旅途非常愉快，已经迫不及待想要回去和家人分享了。
老家在湖北荆州的赵先生拖着行李箱，肩上还挂着一个大袋子，都是重庆的“土特产”，“有火锅底料、老腊肉、麻花、米花糖等，带给亲戚家孩子尝尝。”
听到有食物，一旁赵先生的小儿子兴奋地嚷嚷了起来：“我想吃奶奶家的风干鸡和鱼糕。”“快了快了，我们的列车12点就开咯！”说着说着，一家人走向了候车厅。
发车时间还早，来自合川的向先生和同伴们正在北广场上晒太阳聊天，他们在河北务工，前一天才刚回重庆。“坐高铁再转汽车，今天晚上就能到家。”说起回家，他们眼中全是期待，隔着口罩，难掩兴奋。(完)
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