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.
2022年两岸关系复杂严峻 国台办：牢牢把握两岸关系主导权和主动权******
在今天(11日)举行的国台办例行新闻发布会上，有记者问，今天是2023年国台办举行首场新闻发布会，请发言人回顾总结2022年两岸关系，并展望2023年两岸关系发展。对此，国台办发言人马晓光表示，2022年，两岸关系复杂严峻。在以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚强领导下，我们牢牢把握两岸关系主导权和主动权，团结两岸同胞推动两岸关系向前发展，对台工作取得新的进展。
马晓光介绍说，我们有力引领两岸关系正确发展方向。党的二十大郑重宣示新时代新征程对台大政方针和决策部署，为做好对台工作提供了根本遵循和行动指南，对推进两岸关系发展与祖国统一进程意义深远。我们发布《台湾问题与新时代中国统一事业》白皮书，举办“九二共识”30周年座谈会、第二届“携手圆梦”主题活动等系列活动，持续向台湾同胞和国际社会讲清台湾问题历史经纬和对台大政方针，党的对台方针政策更加深入人心。
我们积极推动两岸关系和平发展、融合发展。践行以人民为中心的发展思想，始终尊重、关爱、造福台湾同胞，不断完善增进台湾同胞福祉的制度和政策。支持福建等地探索海峡两岸融合发展新路，持续优化涉台营商环境，助力台商台企融入新发展格局、参与高质量发展，全年两岸贸易额和台商来大陆投资保持总体稳定。积极推动两岸交流合作，促进两岸同胞共同弘扬中华优秀传统文化，成功举办第十届海峡论坛、2022两岸企业家峰会年会、两岸青年峰会等600多项两岸重点交流项目。众多台湾同胞在大陆追梦、筑梦、圆梦，“两岸一家亲”的氛围更加浓厚。
我们坚决开展反分裂、反干涉重大斗争。“台独”分裂活动和外部势力干涉是当前台海形势紧张动荡的根源，严重危害中华民族根本利益和台湾同胞切身利益。我们采取系列有力措施，坚决粉碎各种形式的谋“独”挑衅和外来干涉图谋，进一步掌握了实现祖国完全统一的战略主动，进一步巩固了国际社会坚持一个中国的格局。“倚外谋独”“以台制华”不得人心，注定失败。求和平、求稳定、求发展的台湾主流民意更加彰显。
马晓光强调，新的一年，我们将全面贯彻党的二十大精神和新时代党解决台湾问题的总体方略，坚持“和平统一、一国两制”基本方针，坚持一个中国原则和“九二共识”，坚决反对“台独”分裂和外来干涉，坚持团结广大台湾同胞，共同推动两岸关系和平发展、融合发展，推进祖国统一进程，为共创中华民族绵长福祉而携手奋斗。
(总台央视记者 黄惠馨)
