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.
将温暖送到群众身边******
【新春走基层】
光明日报记者 王建宏 张文攀
“王姨，我给您送饺子来啦！这张‘邻里守护服务卡’您收着，上面有我的电话，还有药店、粮油店和卫生服务站的电话，有啥事，别担心，我们在呢。”1月10日，在宁夏吴忠市利通区金星镇开元社区，社区党员哈燕和楼道红管家、居民志愿者等一起，陆续敲响了高龄独居老人、重病患者、留守儿童等特殊困难群体的家门，送去药品、急需生活物资等暖心“大礼包”。
近日，为主动适应疫情防控新情况，加强特殊人群关心关爱，宁夏在全区启动组建社区村组千支小分队开展暖心配送服务行动。吴忠市第一时间集结社区、村“两委”干部、网格员、楼道（栋）长、业委会成员、群团组织、社会组织、志愿者等力量，紧急组建3902支小分队，穿梭在村组网格、奔走在楼栋巷道，利用一切资源优势，将温暖送到群众身边。
“家里1岁半的娃娃高烧39.6℃，家里没有退烧药，急得人跳蹦子哩。我赶紧给网格员李建娜打了电话，小分队很快就送来了布洛芬、退热贴，真是雪中送炭啊！”在盐池县盐州路街道芙蓉园小区，居民李艳琴说起热心的小分队，眼里泛起了泪花儿。
有的居民家中有富余的药品，一些急需的群众却买不上，如何畅通信息和药物交流共享的渠道？得益于完善的“社区（村）、网格（小区、村民小组）、楼栋（党员中心户）”三级组织体系，吴忠市各社区、村组迅速在党群服务驿站、物业服务点、楼栋（村民小组）的醒目位置设置“共享药箱”2183处，并通过微信群、大喇叭、倡议书等形式，引导居民将感冒、退烧、消炎镇痛等常用富余非处方药共享出来，让有限的药品发挥最大价值。
“刚开始还担心大家的共享意愿不强，但看着‘共享药箱’里一盒盒快克、感康，一片片布洛芬、甘草片等药品，满满都是感动。”吴忠市利通区胜利镇新华社区党委书记马芳说，“平时经常组织社区邻居节、好邻居评选、民族团结一家亲等活动，这些活动形成的凝聚力，在关键时刻体现了出来。”
“我们积极动员广大党员勇当宣传引导、个人防护、本职岗位和服务群众‘四个表率’，特别是机关单位党员干部纷纷报名加入居住地的服务小分队，以实际行动在科学精准防控一线上见行动、作贡献。”吴忠市委组织部副部长、吴忠市非公有制经济组织和社会组织党工委书记马久麟告诉记者。
高龄独居老人、孕产妇、留守儿童、重病患者等特殊困难群体，是社区村组小分队重点关注关心的对象。吴忠市精准摸排建立58184名重点人员台账，推行暖心配送服务“四个一”运行机制，即建立一套重点对象花名册、向重点对象发放一份防疫政策宣传单、一张紧急服务联系卡、一个健康防护爱心包，先后为行动不便、出行困难的居民群众安排送医送药15517次、代购代办14440次，开展陪伴照顾、心理疏导等贴心照料关爱9249人次。
《光明日报》（ 2023年01月12日 03版）
