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.
李克强主持召开国务院党组会议******
李克强主持召开国务院党组会议
学习贯彻习近平总书记在二十届中央纪委二次全会上的重要讲话精神
持续推进政府系统全面从严治党
韩正出席
新华社北京1月11日电 1月10日，国务院总理、党组书记李克强主持召开国务院党组会议，学习贯彻习近平总书记在二十届中央纪委二次全会上的重要讲话精神，持续推进政府系统全面从严治党。
会议强调，要深入学习领会习近平总书记在中央纪委二次全会上的重要讲话精神，深刻领悟“两个确立”的决定性意义，增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，坚持不懈推进全面从严治党、党风廉政建设和反腐败，贯穿于政府工作各方面、全过程，保障党的二十大决策部署贯彻落实。
一是全面从严治党要更好发挥政治引领和政治保障作用。国务院党组和各部门党组（党委）要始终在思想上政治上行动上同以习近平同志为核心的党中央保持高度一致，有力推动党中央决策部署贯彻落实。加强政治监督，在具体化、精准化、常态化上下更大功夫，确保党的理论和路线方针政策落实落地。
二是加强作风建设，狠抓中央八项规定落实。坚持政府过紧日子，勤俭办一切事情，打紧财政等国家资金铁算盘，从严控制非重点非刚性支出，更好节用裕民。继续纠治享乐主义、奢靡之风，坚决反对铺张浪费。坚持实事求是，遵循客观规律，把纠治形式主义、官僚主义摆在更加突出位置，坚决防止工作简单化“一刀切”、层层加码。
三是扎实履行全面从严治党主体责任。严负其责、严管所辖，带头自觉学习党章、遵守党章、贯彻党章、维护党章，自觉学习贯彻其他党内法规，增强纪律意识、规矩意识。深入推进党风廉政建设和反腐败。全面深化改革，持续推进“放管服”改革，严格规范公正文明执法，减少权力对微观经济活动的不当干预，不断铲除滋生腐败的土壤。聚焦审批监管、工程建设、公共资源交易等重点领域和民生重点事项，严肃查处腐败问题。
四是恪尽职守、担当作为。全面贯彻新发展理念，着力推动高质量发展，主动构建新发展格局，调动各方面积极性，结合实际创造性工作。解决好两难、多难问题，多做为民造福的实事。当前要继续抓好稳经济一揽子政策和接续措施落实，保持政策稳定性，大力推进改革开放，着力稳增长稳就业稳物价，保持经济运行在合理区间。抓实抓细重要民生商品、药品、能源等保供，做好困难人员救助帮扶、安全生产等工作。
会议指出，本届政府以来，国务院党组和各部门党组（党委）坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，认真落实全面加强党的领导的要求，充分发挥全面从严治党保障作用，与经济社会发展同部署同推进，坚持依法行政，持之以恒正风肃纪、从源头反腐，激励实干担当，政府系统全面从严治党和党风廉政建设持续推进。要健全政府系统全面从严治党体系，为推动经济社会发展提供坚强保障。
韩正、孙春兰、胡春华、刘鹤、魏凤和、王勇、王毅、肖捷、赵克志出席。
《光明日报》（ 2023年01月12日 03版）
