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.
彭秋香代表：以高质量司法走好新的赶考之路****** 【奋进新征程 建功新时代·二十大代表在基层】
“作为一名山区的法官，我要把党的二十大精神学习好宣传好贯彻好，用实际行动走好新的赶考之路。”11月4日，党的二十大代表、广东省茂名市信宜市人民法院民一庭庭长彭秋香，在该院第11次党组理论学习中心组(扩大)会议上作了履职和学习体会报告。
彭秋香代表在和群众认真交流。林丹丹摄/光明图片
回到工作岗位后，彭秋香立即以实际行动学习宣传和贯彻党的二十大精神。10月25日，彭秋香向法院党组和所在的党支部传达了党的二十大精神。“这是我第一次走进人民大会堂，激动的心情难以言表。我印象最深刻的是习近平总书记向大会作报告时现场多次响起经久不息的掌声，这是代表们对报告中描绘的宏伟蓝图的热烈期盼。”彭秋香分享了她参加党的二十大开幕会的感受，随后她从党的二十大盛况、广东代表团学习讨论、与代表交流等方面，讲述她的所见所闻所感，并围绕如何学习贯彻党的二十大精神进行了系统阐释和深入解读。彭秋香表示，习近平总书记提出的“五个牢牢把握”，为学习贯彻党的二十大精神提供了“路线图”，怎样把大会确定的“路线图”转化为贯彻落实的“施工图”，是接下来的头等大事。
11月1日，彭秋香来到怀乡镇扶德村。“作为一名基层党员代表，参加党的二十大让我感到非常自豪。”谈起在人民大会堂聆听党的二十大报告时的感受，彭秋香仍难抑激动之情。她用亲身经历、切身感受、具体事例向村民们讲解党的二十大提出的新思想、新要求、新举措。彭秋香通俗易懂、朴素生动的宣讲，引发在场干部群众的共鸣。
“我将继续用群众喜闻乐见的形式，将党的二十大精神及身边的好声音、新变化，传递给广大的市民群众，在宣传群众、凝聚群众、服务群众上贡献自己的力量。”彭秋香说。
在用情、用心、用力学习宣传党的二十大精神的同时，彭秋香切实做好本职工作，以对法律负责、对人民负责、对历史负责的态度处理每一起案件。参加完党的二十大回到信宜后，彭秋香立即投入案件审理工作中，截至11月16日，她已审理了20多件案件。
彭秋香2006年任助理审判员，之后一直从事民商事审判工作。她常年奔走在田间地头，做到脚下有土、心中有情。在案件的处理上，她总是尽可能多调解，尽可能多为群众解决一些实际困难、少留一些遗憾。她先后获得广东省优秀共产党员、全国法官办案标兵、全国优秀法官等荣誉称号。
彭秋香说：“今后我将始终胸怀司法为民的责任担当，持续致力于加强诉源治理力度、致力于提升家事审判温度、致力于强化特殊困难群体保护、致力于加大普法宣传广度，当好社会主义法治理念的培育者、矛盾纠纷的化解者、乡村振兴的推动者。”
如今，信宜山区群众对高效便捷的司法服务需求越来越高。彭秋香表示，她将以“再赶考”的姿态继续砥砺前行，把党的“好声音”及时、准确地传递到群众中间，把党的二十大精神落实到审判工作中，坚持司法为民、公正司法，以高质量司法向党和人民提交一份满意答卷。
《光明日报》（ 2022年11月23日 05版）
