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.
四措并举 改善优质房企资产负债表****** 王丽新 日前，央行、银保监会联合召开主要银行信贷工作座谈会，提及“引导优质房企资产负债表回归安全区间”。从中央经济工作会议提出“有效防范化解优质头部房企风险”，到此次的“改善优质头部房企资产负债表”，同时继续强调落实保交楼金融支持、“金融16条”、差别化住房信贷政策等内容，可见政策层面对优质头部房企的深切关注。在笔者看来，接下来，地产金融支持性政策将在多维度快速展开，一方面会真正覆盖到有优质资产却被“误伤”的房企，使其迎来弹性扩表的机会；另一方面，资本市场将更好地发挥资源配置功能，“改善优质房企经营性和融资性现金流”，既要多措并举引导合规房企获得融资性现金流，也要恢复企业内生造血能力，稳住经营性现金流，最终实现保优质主体的目标。笔者认为，会议提到的四项举措可有效改善整个行业的资产负债表。 举措之一是“资产激活”，这与保交楼行动目标一致，主要针对出险房企及潜在出险房企，助其盘活资产，回归正常经营。具体而言，一可通过保交楼专项借款等增量资金支持存量项目复产复工；二当支持对房企间项目收并购，引导需求端政策配合来增强项目去化和处置资产力度；三是远期或可期待支持发行商业地产类ABS、REITs等方式盘活持有型物业，释放房企此前沉淀大量资金的重资产项目的流动性。 举措之二是“负债接续”，这与当下房企已经在落实的债转股、存量债券展期等缓解房企债务压力的方向一致，主要缓解未出险房企短期还债压力，防止出险房企数量增加。比如当下内房股采用较多的支持房企在发生债务违约前置换要约，以新债换旧债以及合理展期，给予房企“以时间换空间”的机会。 举措之三是“权益补充”即股权融资支持，这是改善优质房企资产负债表的最有效手段，也是加速行业风险出清的“助推器”。上市房企股权融资开闸优势有三，一是没有债务利息，融资成本低；二是不会新增有息债务，剔除预收账款后的资产负债率不会提升，避免重走“高杠杆、高负债、高周转”的“旧三高”老路，为行业高质量发展夯实基础；三是股权融资直接拉升权益资本，能优化资产负债结构，引新股东入局后，若资源能与房企现有业务整合发展，可助推房地产业向新发展模式平稳过渡。 举措之四是“预期提升”，这与“稳销售、增信心、扩投资”一脉相承，是行业复苏的持续动力。供给侧方面支持房企融资，目的也是引导企业经营现金流回归常态。结合近期多部门的积极表态，预计需求端利好政策还将进一步释放，尤其可能聚焦在激活换房等改善性需求的购买力方面，使其成为楼市销售的新生力军。交易增加，企业资金状况得到改善，交付的项目逐步增多，购房者消除担忧，市场有望联动好转，实现良性循环。 当然，改善房地产行业资产负债表不能一蹴而就。可喜的是，积弊已久的“旧三高”时代已经远去，“第三支箭”落地的广度和力度不断提升，随着居住消费需求不断升级，房地产行业开发与运营并重的新时代将来临。 彩神地图 |
