Debt dispute

Those who favor endlessly more spending keep calling on Republicans -- elected to down-size the debt and federal bureaucracy -- to compromise. And so some of them have.

GOP Speaker Boehner twisted enough arms Thursday morning to clear the way for a House vote on a raise-the-debt-ceiling plan that -- while far from perfect -- seems about the best that can be achieved this week.

"It is not a perfect plan, certainly, but it is a good step forward," agreed Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., a tea party freshman.

The House plan contains no tax hikes -- you can't tax your way out of a recession -- and offers some hope of spending cuts, especially because Democrats will be held to account in a mere nine months if it turns out they plan nothing of the sort.

Why the short time frame? Rep. Boehner argues the measure represents "the best opportunity we have to hold the president's feet to the fire. He wants a $2.4 trillion blank check that lets him continue his spending binge through the next election. This is the time to say no."

Indeed, as Democrats brayed their over-the top criticism of each debt-ceiling plan ("Republicans ... don't just want to make cuts, they want to ... destroy food safety, clean air, clean water, the department of education. They want to destroy your rights," offered the always level-headed Nancy Pelosi), Harry Reid's Senate Democrats have voted on no plan, at all.

If the Boehner plan reaches the Senate, Sen. Reid should allow a full debate -- and a vote. Enough of calling Republicans "the party of 'no' " as they offer one compromise after another. If the Democrats refuse to accept any deal, let the blame fall on them for their intransigent refusal to give up destructive tax hikes "on the rich" -- by which they mean "on anyone still doing well enough to pay income taxes."