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.
歌唱演员当上了文化村长 内蒙古政协委员乌兰图雅唱响振兴歌******
中新网呼和浩特1月12日电 (记者 乌娅娜)“产业多兴旺，精神多蓬勃，村美民富幸福来，唱响振兴歌……”12日，内蒙古自治区政协委员乌兰图雅嘹亮的歌声回荡在内蒙古“两会”委员通道上，用这首歌祝福乡村明天更加美好。
这首歌曲展现了生机勃勃的乡村振兴美好画卷，在乌兰图雅看来，文艺工作者在乡村振兴中大有可为，“这里有更广阔的天地，文艺工作者不仅可以施展自己的才华，也能汲取艺术源泉。”
记者了解到，2022年，内蒙古文联和兴安盟委宣传部统筹区盟旗三级文化文艺资源，开展了“文化村长助力乡村文化振兴行动”，10位内蒙古知名文艺工作者走进兴安盟，以“文化村长”身份与嘎查村结对子，乌兰图雅便是其中之一。
乌兰图雅拿着一张照片介绍道：“这是察尔森嘎查一位贫困残疾老人家，但是当我走访的时候，看到他的家里窗明几净，听到了朗朗笑声，这位老人并没有因为残疾而失去了对生活的信心，反而是充满对美好生活的向往。在政策的帮助和个人的努力下，他现在已经脱贫致富。”
“我们常常说，文艺工作者要贴近生活，走进生活，我觉得他们身上那种自强拼搏的精神值得我们学习，他也是中国千千万万农民的缩影，他们心中有光，脚下有力量。”乌兰图雅说道。
她介绍，在文化村长的带动下，各嘎查村自发组织了业余演出队伍，在基层形成了弘扬中华民族文化的“最炫的民族风”，同时推出了12个文艺类项目，包含了摄影、美术、书法、器乐、歌舞等，提高了村民的艺术鉴赏能力，也帮助他们学习艺术知识。截至目前，文化村长为嘎查村创作了30首村歌、12支村舞、60幅村画，“这些冒着热气，带着露珠，有人间烟火气的文艺作品深受老乡人的喜爱。”
乌兰图雅说：“当真正走进乡村，与村民们互动交流后，才能发现在民间深藏多年的民族优秀传统文化。看到文化推动乡村振兴而取得的成果时，我们也感到骄傲和自豪，也更加坚定继续为乡村振兴服务。”
内蒙古自治区政府工作报告中显示，过去五年，内蒙古157万贫困人口全部脱贫，57个贫困旗县全部摘帽，3681个贫困嘎查村全部出列。(完)
