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.
春节长假，港澳游整体回暖******
【环球时报综合报道】内地与香港免检疫通关后第一个农历春节长假结束，赴港澳的旅游项目在春节期间整体气氛有所回暖。
根据香港入境处的统计数字，从年三十(1月21日)至初四(1月25日)，香港各口岸共有41.7万多人次入境，其中内地旅客6.6万人次，占总入境人次约16%。内地访港旅客入境高峰出现在初三，共有1.6万多人次抵港，当天经高铁西九龙口岸入境人次最多。
5天农历春节长假期间，香港总出境人次54.2万，其中香港居民出境45.3万人次，占总出境人次约84%。港人外游高峰是在除夕，有超过10万人次出境，当天最多人经落马洲支线管制站离境，其次是机场。
连日来，香港尖沙咀广东道成为旅客购物热点，不少内地游客拖着多个行李箱来港消费，部分名店需要排队进入。有内地游客表示，过去3年因疫情关系，较少购物，这次来港将尽情消费；在家过完年就立即买车票来港，主要购买化妆品、护肤品、手袋和婴儿用品。香港旅游业议会主席徐王美伦称，受惠于通关，尖沙咀一些名店及珠宝店生意上升，当中有30%来自内地游客，市道开始复苏。她说，由于航空公司和人手等配套未准备好，估计到明年，旅游业才能恢复到疫情前的水平。
另据港媒1月29日报道， 香港旅游界立法会议员姚柏良在一个电视节目中表示，两地实施免检疫通关后，业界整体气氛好转，但农历春节期间内地访港人数仍不及疫情前的每天10多万人次，核酸检测仍是旅客最大考虑。他呼吁特区政府尽快与内地商讨取消核酸检测及开放旅行团。
据《澳门日报》1月29日报道，澳门特区政府28日公布本月21日至27日入境旅客统计数据，结果显示7天共有45.1万人次访澳，日均6.44万人次，同比上升297%。其中，内地旅客共有26.47万人次，同比增长149.7%；香港旅客共16.47万人次，按年上升2601.8%。
澳门旅游局局长文绮华表示，春节期间旅客量超乎预期，日均入境旅客超过6.4万人次，比当局之前估计的4.7万人次多，主要原因是香港旅客大增，但暂时未能估算春节期间增加的旅游经济效益，需视入境人数等不同方面的情况。澳门旅游业议会会长胡景光称业界喜出望外，从数据可以看到，港客占比约三成，比例比以往有所增加，相信是有赖澳门特区政府在1月8日放宽通关措施后，实时针对香港市场进行大量宣传推广，并推出优惠。他说，元宵节过后直至五一黄金周前夕，向来是旅游业传统淡季。接下来须持续加强对香港市场的宣传，如在现有交通、消费等优惠基础上叠加推出住宿优惠，持续吸引港客访澳。(杨伟民)
