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.
云南省政协“协商在基层”成果涌现 打通履职“最后一公里”****** 中新网昆明1月9日电 (罗婕)政协云南省第十三届委员会第一次会议新闻发布会9日在云南昆明召开。记者从会上获悉,通过省、州(市)、县三级政协共同努力,云南省政协打造的特色履职品牌“协商在基层”启动三年来涌现出一批可借鉴、可复制、可推广的案例,推动政协协商向基层延伸,打通了履职“最后一公里”。 近年来,云南省政协在拓展协商形式、丰富协商内容方面取得了新突破。政协云南省第十三届委员会第一次会议副秘书长、新闻发言人张荣明介绍,“协商在基层”工作启动以来,云南省政协成功走出了一条推动政协协商向基层延伸、拓展基层群众参与政协协商渠道的创新之路,推动政协协商向基层延伸,积极把政协协商与基层社会治理有机结合,打造了集党委、政府“好帮手”、人民群众“连心桥”、委员履职“新平台”为一体的政协特色品牌。 张荣明表示,“协商在基层”工作通过协商主体以基层民众为主、协商议题以民生实事为主两个方面,开辟了协商为民新渠道。通过省、州(市)、县三级联动拓展了政协履职新空间,省政协成立工作推进组,州(市)政协成立工作领导小组,县级政协设立乡镇(街道)协商议事会议,让“协商在基层”成为建言资政和凝聚共识双向发力的大舞台,打通了履职“最后一公里”。 三年来,“协商在基层”在云岭大地涌现出一批可借鉴、可复制、可推广的案例,2021年评选出30大创新案例,2022年评选出50大典型案例,取得了实实在在的成果。 其中,临沧市政协从镇康县红岩村“一寨三县三乡六村”联合治理协商议事中起步,探索形成了“边寨协商”特色品牌,两次在全国政协作了大会交流,目前红岩村已创建成为中国少数民族特色村寨。而云南省政协经济委、临沧市政协、凤庆县政协三级联动开展振兴滇红茶产业协商议事,催生了凤庆滇红茶产业联盟,焕发了“滇红”品牌生机。 张荣明称,云南省政协十三届一次会议将于1月10日至1月14日召开,会期4天半。本次大会主要议程为,听取和审议政协云南省第十二届委员会常务委员会工作报告和关于提案工作情况的报告;列席省十四届人大一次会议,听取并讨论政府工作报告及其他有关报告;选举政协云南省第十三届委员会主席、副主席、秘书长,常务委员;审议通过省政协十三届一次会议政治决议、省政协十三届一次会议关于十二届省政协常委会工作报告等决议和报告。(完) (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |