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.

新华时评：凡人微光，照亮中国******

　　新华社北京1月12日电题：凡人微光，照亮中国

　　新华社记者字强、王明玉

　　“勇救落水母女”的残疾小伙李俊、“生命摆渡人”邢蕴静、以大爱守护人民的秦晓强……“中国网事·感动2022”网络年度人物的故事，让我们看到平凡人的光彩和炽热，感受到社会的良善与正义，更激发起对未来的信心与希望。

　　平凡铸就伟大，英雄来自人民。他们都是平凡人，却干出了不平凡的事迹——特警秦晓强的父亲和妹妹在泸定6.8级地震中遇难，他却依然挺进震中救援群众；检察官李邦红深入山乡，在2万多名孩子的内心播下法治的种子；乡村教师卢文建因视力障碍“借眼”授课28年，帮助学生实现梦想……他们的经历令人动容，是因为他们把自己的使命与时代紧密相连，身处基层一线，只管耕耘、不问收获。

　　他们的故事诠释深刻道理——从事器官捐献服务的“生命摆渡人”邢蕴静让我们看到，奉献爱心可以将生命之光延续；30年守护秦岭的“夫妻哨”张彦明、苟冬云让我们深信，人不负青山，青山定不负人；守岛10年的女村医颜新艳让我们明白，人民所需就是职责所系，要用真心换群众暖心。

　　他们的精神激励后来者前行——年逾九旬还在捐资助学的舒服民激励广大党员不忘初心、牢记使命；把小洋葱发展成大产业的李廷胜激励广大基层干部善谋善干，带民致富；沈飞“冠军班”青年工匠激励广大青年发扬“工匠精神”，精益求精，勇创佳绩。

　　纤纤不绝林薄成，涓涓不止江河生。英雄无处不在，英雄就在身边。中华大地上，无数平凡人发光发热，书写非凡人生。爱岗敬业、见义勇为、医者仁心、工匠精神不是虚无缥缈的概念，而是在广大平凡人的日常工作和生活中得到践行和体现。正是每一个普通人的孜孜不倦、努力奋斗，让中国的明天更美好。

　　一人兴善，万人可激。生而平凡，心向璀璨。感动人物的事迹可学可做、精神可追可及。我们每个人都可以去倾听、去拼搏、去奋斗、去播种，成为感动他人、照亮社会的一分子。无数个我们汇聚在一起，大爱和精神将如星辰大海般璀璨、广袤，把我们的梦想和未来映照得更加光明、辉煌。(新华网)