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.
北京地铁13号线扩能提升将新建18站******
13号线扩能提升将新建18站
工程进入复工满产阶段 拆分AB线运力大幅提升
本报讯(记者 李博)聚集着中国互联网“半壁江山”的后厂村路，早晚高峰交通压力十分突出。在中关村软件园北侧，13号线后厂村站施工已经陆续展开。记者从市重大项目办及京投所属轨道公司了解到，作为全市重点工程的13号线扩能提升工程，已进场开工建设的12个标段全部复工。全线管理及劳务人员全部到岗，工程已进入复工满产阶段。
“13号线扩能提升工程新建车站共有18座，其中10座车站已开工建设，本月还将有3座车站实现开工。”京投所属轨道公司第二项目中心副总经理高亚彬介绍，13号线扩能提升工程作为国内最大规模的既有线改造工程，将在不影响13号线运营的基础上，利用晚上地铁停运后的“窗口期”施工作业。
北京轨道交通13号线扩能提升工程，是在既有13号线西二旗-龙泽-回龙观站区段，通过线路改造等技术手段，将既有13号线倒U型线进行拆分，形成13A线、13B线两条线路。13A线由车公庄经西直门、新龙泽至天通苑东，串联既有13号线西段及天通苑和回龙观地区。
13B线由海淀区16号线马连洼站，经新龙泽至东直门站，串联了上地软件园、回龙观、天通苑及13号线东段。两条线路具备互联互通的条件，同时预留了B线跨线运营至A线的条件，未来不仅可以实现A、B线同站台换乘，还可实现跨线组织运行，提升了服务水平。
拆分完成后，13A线具备运营8编组B型车能力，运输能力提高75%左右；13B线运输能力提高30%左右，将有效解决西直门终点站列车折返条件差、发车间隔无法缩短、13号线车厢拥挤、站外限流排队等问题。
拆分线路新建站线的同时，13号线既有站点也将实施改造。“改造工程将为既有13号线线路两侧加装声屏障，同时，13号线西段5座车站还将加宽加长。改造过程中，不仅要对既有站台进行加长，还要新建一套更高更长的屋顶，改善站台候车环境。”高亚彬介绍，目前相关单位正在完善既有车站的改造方案。根据计划，13号线上地站的改造工作将会率先进行，其余车站随后也会进行改造。
13号线扩能提升工程完成后，将进一步改善回龙观天通苑地区出行条件，完善北部地区轨道交通线网，更好满足市民出行需求。
目前，北京轨道交通工程建设已有14000余人返岗返工。预计2月10日左右，所有标段将实现复工满产，现场施工人员将达23000余人。2023年，北京在建轨道交通200余公里，计划投资350亿元。
