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.
海南商业航天发射场建设提速 分秒必争确保按期首发****** (新春见闻)海南商业航天发射场建设提速 分秒必争确保按期首发 中新社海南文昌2月3日电 题：海南商业航天发射场建设提速 分秒必争确保按期首发 中新社记者 符宇群 “海南商业航天发射场1号工位目前已经进入设备安装阶段，预计今年六月，主体塔架——勤务塔将搭建完成。”海南国际商业航天发射有限公司工程设备部副部长葛立新近日接受中新社记者采访时说，项目建设正在提速，设备生产和现场施工同步进行。  图为航拍建设中的海南商业航天发射场1号工位。 骆云飞 摄海南商业航天发射场是中国首个开工建设的商业航天发射场，也是海南自贸港建设重大工程，项目于2022年7月6日开工，预算总投资40多亿元人民币，规划建设用地2000多亩。项目建成后，主要承揽国内外火箭发射业务，将进一步提升中国商用火箭发射能力。 中新社记者近日在位于海南省文昌市的海南商业航天发射场1号工位建设现场，看到一片繁忙景象：工程车辆穿梭往来，大型履带吊车在进行钢构件吊装作业，100多名工人各司其职。 “正在安装施工的白色塔架是固定勤务塔，主要为火箭及卫星测试提供良好的工作环境以及勤务保障。”葛立新介绍，整个塔架由1000多个钢构件组成，目前正在进行勤务塔的第一层安装施工，安装工作形成经验后将加快速度，预计每10天可搭建完成一层，塔架搭建完成后共有11层约83米高。 安装工程看上去容易，实则施工要求十分精细复杂。海南商业航天发射场(1号工位)副主任设计师程明龙说，每个钢构件安装到位前，需经过试拼、地面测量、栓接、焊接、校对调整等程序，塔架安装误差要求不超过3毫米，再加上海南高温、高湿、高盐等气候挑战，施工难度非常大。 李战朝是海南商业航天发射场1号工位的技术负责人，自去年10月进驻项目以来一直坚守在岗位上。他说，为确保项目建设质量，现场有专门的质检员、测量员、安全员等，施工人员通常需要边作业边检验，随时进行工艺调整。 “春节期间项目现场不停工，各项建设工作按照进度计划表有序推进。”海南商业航天发射场(1号工位)项目经理李勇说，目前1号工位的建设进程较计划提前一个月左右，塔体安装完成后，还将进行塔体回转设备、摆杆、设备管线等安装施工。 海南国际商业航天发射有限公司党委副书记郭强受访时表示，当前全球太空领域的竞争日趋激烈，航天产业民用化脚步加快，商业航天发射场建设是运载火箭、卫星应用、空间宽带互联网等航天工业三大重点工程和海南发展火箭链、卫星链、数据链“三链”产业的重要基础。 郭强透露，公司2023年年底将完成发射场技术区、发射区硬件设施建设，2024年一季度开展发射场全系统全要素合练，以确保2024年6月30日按期首发。未来，海南商业航天发射场还将面向公众开发配套旅游服务。(完)
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