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.
【地评线】金羊网评:以“滚烫初心”奔赴赶考之路******
新时代新征程,党员干部要把为民造福作为最重要的政绩,怀揣为民初心,根植为民之情,一路乘风破浪、砥砺前行,以“滚烫初心”奔赴赶考之路,为民生事业的发展和进步贡献智慧和力量。
秉持真挚初心,以“时时放不下”之心笃守信念。为民造福是我们的岗位职责所在,也是我们的人生价值所在。从防风治沙的谷文昌到种植绿林的塞罕坝建设者,再到在绝壁上开凿天渠的黄大发,他们心中装着人民,以艰苦奋斗的精神赢得人民的信赖和点赞,为我们留下了永恒且闪耀的精神丰碑,留下了毕生学习、一生追寻的宝贵精神财富。作为党员干部,我们要秉持真挚初心为民服务,始终把人民群众放在心中最高位置,心系群众冷暖,情牵百姓所念,行向百姓期盼,以“时时放不下”的至诚之心托举群众更加幸福的日子,朝着人民期盼奋力奔跑,和人民群众感同身受、并肩而行。
激发热血豪情,以“事事都上心”之劲拼搏奋进。在为民服务的实践中,党员干部要敢于吃苦做到“不挑活”,要做到知重负重“扛重担”,以不推脱、不懈怠的“满格状态”为民奋斗,以充满温度的关怀、有实效的举措回应群众呼声,做到“事事都上下”“事事抓在手”。前进之路上,必然会面对各种考验,党员干部要有攻坚克难的斗争之志,要有奋斗为民的热血豪情,找准问题的“关键点”,克服工作实践中面临的各种考验和困难,以问题的解决解民生之忧、谋民生之利,推动民生事业更上新台阶。
发扬实干精神,以“点滴在心头”之情真抓实干。“路虽远,行则将至;事虽难,做则必成。”站在历史新起点上,党要有不怕险阻、事必干成的决心和毅力,在为民实践中发扬滴水穿石、久久为功的实干精神,以“功成不必在我”的精神境界和“功成必定有我”的历史担当扛起岗位责任,以深切之情、务实之举真抓实干,以“辛苦指数”换取群众的“幸福指数”。征途漫漫,惟有奋斗。要拿稳接续奋斗的“接力棒”,坚持一茬接着一茬干、一仗接着一仗打,满怀自信走好奋斗之路,昂扬奋发奔赴美好未来,把人民群众的向往逐一实现,助推民生事业取得新的进步,做到事事有回应、件件有着落。(李俊成)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)