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.

新华全媒+|一位高铁列车长的62个闹钟******

　　“重点旅客到站。”1月9日17点45分，随着一阵闹铃声响起，列车长郎茜快速扫一眼手机提示，快步向8号车厢方向走去……

　　33岁的郎茜是中国铁路上海局集团有限公司南京客运段值乘D2281次列车的列车长。这趟复兴号列车由南京南站发至深圳北站，运行里程超1930公里，途经江苏、上海、浙江、福建、广东等5个省市。

　　9日是春运开启的第三天，D2281次列车运送旅客4780人次，大量乘客挎着大包小包踏上归乡旅途。“这是疫情防控政策进一步优化调整后的首次春运，旅客数量激增，也对我们做好服务提出了更高要求。”郎茜说，这是她经历的第13次春运。“进入春运后，我的闹钟设置明显变多了。”

　　1月9日，郎茜等待列车到站协助盲人夫妇安全下车。新华社记者季春鹏 摄

　　临近傍晚，郎茜得知一对盲人夫妇将在漳州诏安到站，便提前设置闹钟重点关注。快到站时她将夫妇俩引导至车门处方便下车。“三年没回家过年了，感谢你们，终于到家了！”盲人旅客陈景山说。郎茜与安全员将陈景山夫妇小心搀扶下车，送到诏安站值班员手中，随后值班员将引导这对夫妇出站与家人会合。

　　这一幕是郎茜值乘服务的一个小缩影。2013年，郎茜走上列车长岗位。每逢工作当天凌晨4点30分，她就被第一个闹铃声唤醒，快速起床洗漱，随后开启一天的值乘工作。去年10月起她开始值乘D2281，新线路需要学习的地方多，她便尝试动态“闹钟法”帮助自己快速适应。

　　1月9日，郎茜在列车上服务旅客。新华社记者季春鹏 摄

　　“手机闹铃成了我最好的‘小秘书’。”郎茜说，她手机里的闹钟在设置界面不停增增减减，零碎地记录下一天工作的众多细节，最多时一趟列车值乘下来设置过62个闹钟。“当时只想着千万不能忘了旅客的需求，后来一看手机才发现，闹钟设置了好几页。”郎茜说。

　　1月9日，郎茜展示她设置过的部分闹钟。新华社记者季春鹏 摄

　　踏上列车，郎茜先巡查车厢。她从第一节开始认真检查，查看灭火器有效期，按下厕所冲水按钮看水压，查看卫生间是否消毒，听听广播音量是否合适……每一个细节都不能忽视，当所有车厢检查完毕，车站开始响起旅客放行广播。

　　“旅客安全出行是我们最大的责任，作为一名列车长，首先要把好安全关，做好现场作业和安全卡控，确保列车和旅客安全。”郎茜说。

　　“D2281的开行便利了许多往返长三角与珠三角的旅客。”郎茜说。6号车厢的乘客王磊是潮汕一家医美机构市场部的负责人，因为美容仪经销商在常州，王磊每月都要往返长三角与珠三角。由于美容仪较大，上车时郎茜就帮助王磊收起大件行李柜的隔板，同时协调其他乘客摆放好大件行李。

　　下午6点10分，郎茜的闹铃又响了。5分钟后，她便与另一位乘务员协助王磊把美容仪在潮汕站安全送下了车。车门缓缓关上，郎茜向王磊挥手致意，转身又投入到紧张的工作中。（记者刘兆权、何磊静、杨丁淼）