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.
铁路煤炭运输：在看不见的地方为万家灯火保驾护航****** (新春走基层)铁路煤炭运输：在看不见的地方为万家灯火保驾护航 中新网鸡西1月18日电 题：铁路煤炭运输：在看不见的地方为万家灯火保驾护航 作者 成伟铭 18日7时30分，黑龙江省鸡西市恒山站副站长刘帆在交班会上布置完工作后，匆匆赶往调车场，开始忙碌的一天。 恒山站隶属于中国铁路哈尔滨局集团有限公司管辖的二等站，建于1941年。区域内煤炭储量丰富，煤质优良，是黑龙江地区煤炭供应的重要堡垒。83年间，这座以煤炭运输为主要职责的车站始终承付着周边各大矿区煤炭外运的重任。 年关将近，用电量持续增大，电煤能否供应到位，关乎春节期间万家灯火能否点亮。而作为刚上任的年轻站长，保障恒山站的电煤运输工作，刘帆责无旁贷：抓好行车组织，让煤炭列车快速挂运。  刘帆正在检查调车作业中止轮情况。 成伟铭 摄“如果我们能把机车运力高效的发挥出来，就能发运更多的货物，实现多拉快跑。”刘帆说，为了提高车辆周转效率，让货车尽快到达货位，他天天都往现场跑，掌握煤矿的取送车条件、生产能力，作业量大的那几天，恒山站流传着这样一句玩笑话：“小刘不是在现场，就是在去现场的路上。” 进入1月份以来，恒山站日均煤炭装车量达到5000余吨，较去年同期增长了25%。装车量的增长，导致恒山站调车、行车和装卸车作业大幅增加，无形中为车站增添了不小的安全生产的压力。 面对种种安全痛点，刘帆给自己制定了一个“两小时巡逻计划”，即：每隔两小时对货运作业系统进行一次核查，以保证电煤装车等货运作业“零失误”。  刘帆在调车作业现场对当班人员进行人身安全提示提醒。 成伟铭 摄恒山站地处高寒地区，频繁的降雪和极寒天气，对铁路行车组织工作提出新的挑战。为确保行车安全，给道岔除冰雪成为车站职工的一项重要工作内容。 春节前夕，刘帆带领6名职工对车站道岔进行除冰扫雪作业。在仔细检查确认人员穿戴好防护马甲、手套，带上电筒、除雪铲，他安排三人为一小组，每组人员负责一端咽喉道岔的作业，并严格执行两人上道、一人防护原则。持续4小时的除冰扫雪作业，使得他们在零下28摄氏度的室外，仍是汗流浃背，棉帽被冰霜覆盖冒着蒸腾热气。 夜幕深深，一列列“煤龙”在轰隆隆的鸣笛声中缓缓启程，把冬日里的温暖源源不断的输送到每一个家庭当中，点亮万家灯火，但刘帆的工作仍在继续。“我在这边挺好的。”在与家人视频通话时，刘帆突发奇想，将视频连线画面截了下来，定格了一张新年合影。(完)
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