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.
北京铁警提示:节后返程旅客遗失行李警情占五成******
中新网1月28日电 题:北京铁警提示:节后返程旅客遗失行李警情占五成
中新财经作者 曹旭帆
“乘警同志,我的行李箱找不到了,里面有戒指、项链……”据北京铁路公安处乘警支队相关负责人介绍,从1月26日(正月初五)至1月28日,乘警支队共接到旅客求助类警情49起,其中旅客遗失或拿错行李警情24起,占支队整个求助类警情的48%。期间,共为旅客找回遗失或拿错的行李物品32件,价值8万余元。
1月26日9时许,北京铁路公安处乘警支队接到旅客薄先生电话报警求助,称1月25日他乘坐上海至北京的D706次旅客列车在天津西站下车后,发现自己随身携带的一件灰色双肩背包遗忘在列车上,包内装有2部手机、1瓶茅台酒、1个蝈蝈盒等物品。接报后,乘警支队立即联系当日D706次旅客列车乘警段永刚进行查找。此时,列车已经到达终点站北京站。经段永刚和列车长梁健一起查找,最终他们在车厢内的行李架上发现了薄先生的灰色双肩背包,里面的物品都在,随后他们将薄先生的双肩包交给北京站客运部门,由北京站客运部门负责转交给薄先生。
1月26日14时许,北京铁路公安处乘警支队接到旅客刘先生电话报警求助,称当日他乘坐北京南至上海虹桥的G119次旅客列车在南京南站下车时,自己的黑色行李箱找不到了,箱内装有戒指、项链、合同等物品。由于有事着急下车,刘先生下车后拨打了电话报警。接报后,乘警支队立即联系当日G119次列车乘警杜月明进行查找。经与列车长一起工作,杜月明发现4号与5号车厢之间的大件行李存放处有一个无人认领的黑色行李箱。后经开箱检查,并与刘先生核对,确认行李箱就是他的,戒指、项链、合同等物品都在。列车折返路过南京南站时,杜月明与列车长一起将行李箱交给车站工作人员转交。
乘警支队提示,当前至正月十五元宵节前夕,都是旅客春运返程的高峰时期,车厢内的旅客较多,旅客下车时请提前清点好随身携带的行李物品,特别是黑色背包、银色行李箱、黑色旅行箱等比较容易认错的,要仔细检查,防止遗落或拿错,造成财产损失。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)