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.
浙江：强化房地产风险防控 支持刚性和改善性住房需求******
会议现场。浙江省住房和城乡建设厅供图
中新网杭州1月9日电(张煜欢)9日，浙江全省住房和城乡建设工作会议在杭州举行。记者从会上获悉，2023年该省将深入开展房地产稳进提质，大力支持刚性和改善性住房需求，着力提升住宅品质，同时强化房地产风险防控，推进“保交楼”、保民生、保稳定。
浙江省住房和城乡建设厅党组书记、厅长应柏平在会上介绍，2022年浙江各地因城施策出台200余条各类支持政策，房地产市场逐步企稳向好。同时该省还建设筹集保障性租赁住房36.3万套(间)，试点灵活就业人员缴存公积金，公积金支持住房消费2460亿元，开展农村困难家庭住房救助2804户，该省住房供应和保障体系加快完善。
应柏平表示，2023年该省将全力推进房地产攻坚，因城施策、多措并举，满足刚性和改善性住房需求，保持房地产开发投资和商品房销售基本稳定。“我们要完善好房子的标准规范，合力推动房地产业从传统的‘高杠杆、高负债、高周转’粗放式发展模式，加快向注重产品和服务品质的新发展模式转变，形成产品优质、企业健康、市场平稳、良性循环的新发展格局。”
为进一步完善市场监管制度，浙江提出在今年推进房地产开发经营管理立法调研，探索商品房预售制度改革等；推进房屋交易资金、物业专项维修资金等大资金一体化改革；健全房地产信用管理制度，完善住宅品质评价体系，持续开展房地产秩序规范整治三年行动。
在强化房地产风险防控方面，该省将用好国家“保交楼”专项借款，完善“一楼一策”方案，扎实做好保交楼、保民生、保稳定工作。
为加快住房公积金改革，今年浙江将深化住房公积金助力共同富裕示范区建设试点，目标公积金实缴人数、实缴金额、支持住房消费总额等主要指标同比增长5%以上，个人住房贷款率继续保持在85%至95%的高效合理区间。
为了让更多人“住有所居”，浙江还将继续推进保障性租赁住房建设筹集，目标全年建设筹集保障性租赁住房25万套(间)，并且在总结杭州市、宁波市实践经验基础上，鼓励有条件的城市，因地制宜发展共有产权房。
“住房市场要始终坚持以当地常住人口为主、以居住为主、以普通商品住房为主的导向，住房保障要始终坚持以政府政策引导为主、以市场主体投资建设为主、以解决新市民青年人住房困难为主的导向。”应柏平说。
