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.
江西省上高县敖山镇副镇长唐国徽——扎根乡村接续奋斗******
大棚里，几十株果树枝繁叶茂，黄澄澄的果实点缀其间。12月1日，党的二十大代表、江西省上高县敖山镇副镇长兼洋林归侨少数民族聚居村党支部纪检委员唐国徽，一大早便和县农业农村局农业推广研究员赵险锋，钻进了村里的大棚。
“国徽，今年的果子口感不错。”村民们笑着打招呼。
“市场销售也很好。我调研了一下，在南昌每斤平均可以卖到10元，品相好，售价更高。”唐国徽笑着说，“今天咱们请来技术专家，给大家讲讲果树保养。”
怎么修枝去果，如何保留养分，赵险锋讲得认真，大家听得仔细，不时提出问题。连下几场小雨，气温明显下降，大棚内却是热火朝天。大棚外还有连片的泰国红心柚园、火龙果园、蓝莓园。
今年34岁的唐国徽是洋林村土生土长的瑶族小伙。大学毕业后，曾在深圳创业。就在生意红火之时，他应邀回乡发展。10年来，唐国徽带领乡亲们通过发展水果、乡村旅游等特色产业走上增收致富之路，村民人均收入从8000多元增至2.8万余元。
出席党的二十大后回到村里，唐国徽积极宣讲党的二十大精神。“党的二十大报告对全面推进乡村振兴作出重要部署，强调‘坚持农业农村优先发展’‘加快建设农业强国’。”唐国徽对乡亲们说，“全面推进乡村振兴，我们不能有‘等靠要’的想法，要撸起袖子加油干。咱们洋林村最大的特色就是多民族聚居，发展乡村旅游还有很大潜力可挖。”
村民们听得带劲，也提出一些建议，唐国徽一一认真记录。随后，唐国徽拿出一份方案，与洋林村党支部书记张胜德一起到县水利局争取项目资金，计划打通洋林村边与泗溪镇漕港村边水塘，打造景观湖泊。
“在这之前，我们已经和泗溪镇进行了协商，一起发展全域旅游。”唐国徽介绍，目前洋林村水系治理项目已经立项。
对接电商平台，打造“多彩洋林”农产品销售平台；联系专业公司，制订洋林村特色旅游小镇规划……“国徽一直没闲着，带着我们拓宽增收致富路。”张胜德拿出工作日志，其中记录了最近的工作日程。
“来看看我这刺绣怎么样？”走进村民陈胜梅家，她手里正针线飞舞。唐国徽拿起一份刺绣作品，只见“多彩洋林”几个彩字下，绣着一幅山水田园图。
“您的手艺快赶上老师喽！”唐国徽点赞。上月底，唐国徽请来上高县特殊学校的刺绣老师，为全村妇女开展了两天培训。
洋林村的妇女有民族刺绣手艺基础，如今在老师的带动下得到提升。村里的美术老师叶其秀，以洋林村风光画出10余幅“多彩洋林”美图，作为刺绣创作的底板。“大家不用担心销路，刺绣老师帮咱们卖，乡村旅游也能带动销售。”唐国徽给大家鼓劲。
“发展好洋林村，要只争朝夕。”掏出一张手绘的地图，唐国徽比画着说，“露营地、童乐园、滑草场、民族创业园……完成一项，就在旁边标注一项。”
“习近平总书记在党的二十大报告中指出，当代中国青年生逢其时，施展才干的舞台无比广阔，实现梦想的前景无比光明。”唐国徽说，“作为一名新时代青年，我愿扎根乡村接续奋斗，让乡亲们的日子越过越红火。”（朱磊）
