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.
长三角一体化观察：“奉新嵊”何以协同先行？******
中新网宁波1月7日电(记者 项菁)长三角一体化发展背景下，区域间加速“组团”，探索跨区域深度融合。放眼长三角南翼，宁波市奉化区与绍兴市嵊州市、新昌县比邻而生，地处甬(宁波简称)绍交界地带，是推动甬绍一体化发展的桥梁和纽带。
加速长三角一体化，甬绍及奉新嵊何以协同先行？
2023年宁波两会奉化代表团 严世君 摄位于新昌的钦寸水库与奉化溪口的亭下水库相连互通，百年名校镇海中学签约落户嵊州成立分校，甬绍实现异地就医市民卡直接结算……这些年，甬绍双方不断探索“共饮水、共上学、共就医”。
其实，甬绍一直致力推进“奉新嵊特别合作区”建设。如2022年奉新嵊三地在甬绍合作发展座谈会上就签署了特别合作区框架协议。
不过，正在举行的2023年宁波两会上，奉化区政协主席陈红伟提到，作为甬绍一体化发展的重要桥头堡，“奉新嵊特别合作区”与浙江省内其他合作区相比，还存在不少差距。
陈红伟认为，要加快奉新嵊三地实现交通同网、产业同链、文旅同兴。以农业产业为例，其建议开展跨区域农业合作，建设水蜜桃、桃形李、香榧、中草药等特色农业基地，加强农产品品种技术交流、市场合作。
的确，奉新嵊既有各自产业特色，也有相似的产业集群。要推动三地“抱团”发展，加强产业对接融合谓之关键。
宁波市人大代表刘春萍履职 严世君 摄在奉化区委常委，宁波溪口雪窦山名山建设党工委副书记、管委会副主任刘春萍看来，可以谋划甬绍合作奉化产业园和奉新嵊溪口产业园平台，形成义甬舟开放大通道和宁波西枢纽的联动。
从产业互补性看，宁波市人大代表、宁波佳尔灵气动机械有限公司副总经理单军波举例说，新昌有纺织机械、制药机械等自动化的整机装备产业，需要用到各类精密的气动元件等基础零部件，而奉化溪口恰恰是国家级的气动元器件生产示范基地，能为新昌提供整体配套和技术服务；奉化以方桥街道为主要集中区域有较大的厨卫产业，而嵊州是全国最大的集成灶生产基地，也可以实现相互补位。
产业融合，离不开畅通的交通。单军波认为，即将建成的甬金高速铁路，必将成为义乌连接宁波的交通大动脉，并惠及嵊州和新昌，从长远看，建议利用甬金高速铁路开通奉新嵊城际列车，开通栎社新机场到新嵊地区的机场专线，发挥宁波西枢纽的辐射作用。
宁波市人大代表单军波履职 严世君 摄记者还关注到，奉新嵊三地紧邻，同处于天台山脉及其支脉四明山脉的余脊两端，同为“浙东唐诗之路”上的璀璨明珠。
“建议构建奉新嵊一体的文旅品牌和标识体系，以浙东唐诗之路和环四明山为主轴线，有效串联唐诗文化等特色文旅资源。”陈红伟具体讲，可以策划各类文化旅游美食等活动，开展农产品采摘、年货置办、文化走亲等。
刘春萍也谈及，建议成立奉新嵊文化旅游工作专班、开通奉新嵊旅游专线，共推三地旅游精品线路，实施三地通用惠民旅游套票。
“宁波和绍兴是山水相连的兄弟城市。”刘春萍认为，加快奉新嵊特别合作区建设，有利于响应人民往来需求，推进民生领域的区域共建共享。(完)
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